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The 2025-2026 Seed Exchange is now open! Our 32nd year! Since the fall and winter of 1993-94, the Seed Exchange has been one of the activities that makes HPS/MAG stand out from all of the other plant societies in the Mid-Atlantic region. Each year, as the fruiting season for a plant comes to an end, dedicated Society members collect the seeds and forward them, along with a description of the plant, to the Seed Exchange Team. The information is then used to create the Seed Exchange Catalog. Seed Donations – Seed Donations are finished for 2025. Watch this site for the opening of Seed Exchange Donations in the Summer of 2026. Seed Exchange Catalog The 2025-2026 catalog is now available here. Order online https://www.hardyplantseedshop.org or print out the order form and mail your order with payment to MaryAnn Thomas, 8600 Elliston Drive, Wyndmoor, PA 19038. The online seed shop has been refurbished. We have added some photos to the online seed shop only. But we still need more photos. If sending photos, please fill out our photo release form and send that to [email protected] along with a pdf of your digital photos. We will only use your photos for the online catalog. Photos of donors’ plants can be sent throughout the year to the email address above. There will be 2 options to purchase seeds – the usual 25 packets of seed for $25 and 10 packets or less for $10. Instructions on how to order is on the online seed shop. Bonus packets for donors and volunteers at the Tyler workshops in late January and throughout mid-February are still available, as well as alternate choices. Any member or non-member can submit seeds or volunteer to clean and sort seeds. To order seeds, one must be a member of HPS-MAG. Click here for the membership form.
It’s time to think about volunteering at Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA to sort, clean, package and divide seed into packets to satisfy the seed orders. The workshops at Tyler Arboretum’s Terrace Room (lower level of the Barn) will begin on Wednesday, January 28th and continue until we finish cleaning the seeds, packaging the seeds, and filling orders – we do have an end date listed as February 19th. Normally this takes about 9 days. Workshops will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10AM to 3PM. Come join us for the full day or part of the day – we always have fun! Bring your lunch or a snack, as we have a microwave to reheat items. Dress warmly as the temperatures can be in the 50’s in the basement of a barn. To register for volunteering for any of those days, please follow this link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D44A9AB23A7F49-52854796-hpsseed#/ to Signup Genius. Any questions, please contact Kathy Brown ([email protected]) or [email protected]. 2025/26 Seed Exchange Calendar More dates will be added as the schedule is finalized. Check back often for updates. Early to Mid-December. The database and catalog updates are sent to the IT Design team to begin catalog layout design. Once finished, the catalog is sent to the printer. Late December. Catalogs have been mailed to a few members. Online seed shop is open. https://www.hardyplantseedshop.org Early January. Volunteer sign-ups for the Tyler Arboretum workshops to help sort, clean, package, and fill orders of the seeds will be available. We will be using Sign Up Genius again this year. January 9, 2026. Deadline for receipt of seed donations: Seed may be submitted by mail to: Carole Maher January 17th Last Date to mail your seed order forms. January 22nd Online seed shop will close. January 28th through February 19th. Tyler workshops to fill the seed orders. We work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week from 10AM to 3PM. Come for part of the day or all day. More information will be available in early January. To learn more about the Exchange, read "A Seed of an Idea and How it Grew" and "The Power of Seed" from past HPS Newsletters. Also visit the Avant Gardens Blog, GardenForeplay, for their 2014 posting titled "Collecting Seed for Seed Exchanges." Working with the Seed Exchange is a fun way to meet fellow plant lovers in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. If you have questions or want to know how you can participate, please contact Susan Doblmaier, [email protected] or 215-542-7865. |