The 2024-2025 Seed Exchange is setting up to be exciting!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. Last year’s annual edition (see link below) of the Catalog included 881 seed donations generously contributed by 62 gardeners, from beginners to professionals and included approximately 100 new seed varieties never before offered in our catalog. Promised seed donations have ended. Please remember that all promised seeds must be dropped off at the HPS Annual meeting on December 8th at Temple Ambler or mailed by January 10, 2025 to: Seed Exchange CatalogThe 2024-2025 catalog will be available at the end of December. The 2023-2024 catalog is available for viewing here until the new catalog is available, click here to view last year's catalog. An eBlast and a posting on HPS’s Facebook page will alert all members when the online catalog is accessible. Some members receive their catalog mailed to them. The mailed catalogs will be posted a few days prior to the online availability. If you would like a mailed Seed Exchange catalog, contact Susan Doblmaier. In late December through the first half of January, Society members can order seeds for a small fee. There are always new seeds available from many of our donors. Winter Seeding WorkshopsJanuary 22, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm at Montgomery Farm, Home and Youth Foundation in Collegeville. To register for this workshop click here. Open to members and nonmembers. Seed Exchange volunteering at the Tyler Arboretum workshopsLater in January and February, dozens of volunteers meet at Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA to sort and divide seed into packets to satisfy the orders. Thousands of work hours and volumes of gardening knowledge go into providing this valuable exchange of seeds. Any member or non-member can volunteer to clean and sort seeds. To order seeds, one must be a member of HPS-MAG. Click here (Janice, link) for the membership form. 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,Garden Foreplay, 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. This year we will have volunteers sign-up via Sign-up Genius in early January. Look for information about signing up then! Seed Sorting and Packaging Of Seeds Workshops (held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm). The dates are: January 29 February 11 February 20 Sign-ups will begin in early January using Sign-up Genius. If there is inclement weather, then a message will be sent to all volunteers signed up and we will post a message on the Hardy Plant Society website by 8:00am. Please remember to dress warmly as we are in the basement of the barn. Also, bring snacks and a lunch if you are volunteering for the full day. If you have questions or want to know how you can participate, please contact Susan Doblmaier, [email protected] or 215-542-7865. 2024-2025 Seed Exchange CalendarMore dates will be added as the schedule is finalized. Check back for updates. October 31. Seed Donation Forms were due. November into early December. The Seed Exchange database is updated with the Seed Donor Forms. Updates to the new catalog are made at this time. 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. The catalog is e-mailed to all members and mailed to those who have requested a copy. The Seed Exchange committee would like to mail as few catalogs as possible so that we minimize costs and do not waste paper. Late December to mid-January. Ordering from the catalog will be available. The online ordering site will be open. Mail-in ordering will still be an option. Early January 2025. Sign-up for the volunteer workshops at Tyler Arboretum in late January and early February. Dates for the workshops are not finalized yet. January 10, 2025. Mail donations: Seed may be submitted by mail by January 10, 2025 to: Mid-January 2025. Winter sowing workshop. Watch this space and your e-mail for more details. |