All things horticultural up for swapping
SEEDS, plants, books and gardening tools were popular swaps at Edible Guernsey’s second seed swap event.
Dozens of islanders headed to Edible Vinery in St Peter’s yesterday armed with gardening goods to swap.
The charity aims to re-imagine the food landscape in Guernsey and reinvigorate the production of food in community and commercial structures.
On Good Friday, volunteers hosted a seed swap, which proved to be a great success.
This time there was even more up for grabs, with people being encouraged to bring tools and other gardening goods to swap, rather than them ending up in landfill.
Treasurer Guy Hendry explained that in the long term it hopes to have a station in the greenhouse where people can come to de-rust their tools, sharpen them and revive them, or re-home them to someone who needs them.
‘The idea of the seed swap is that if you bring something, leave it and pick up something else to take home with you,’ he said.
‘If you don’t have something to swap, take what you need and leave what you can afford.’
Nothing had price tags as people were encouraged to decide themselves what was of equal worth.
Picking up some plants for her new growing patch was 12-year-old Annie Le Ray and her mum, Marianne.
‘Our seeds didn’t come up so we’re here to grab some more,’ Annie said, holding tomato and bok choy plants.
Mrs Le Ray said the swap-style event was a lovely idea.
‘People did a similar sort of thing in lockdown so I think it’s great to carry that idea forwards.’
At 3pm Mr Hendry led a tour to show visitors to the greenhouse the work of Edible Guernsey and explain some of the long-term visions of the charity.
Outside there were pigs, sheep, chickens and geese for people of all ages to admire, and there was a raffle with prizes including Juggling King rum, lunch for two at St James, a Healthspan hamper worth more than £100 and bags of compost.
