National Seed Swap Day is January 26

Coming this weekend is the annual National Seed Swap Day in metro Washington, D.C. I have attended a few of these events, hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, over the past few years and have had a wonderful time. It is a way to meet and talk to local gardeners at all levels, hear about trends from speakers, take home some edibles and flower seeds and inspire your garden planning.

I will be bringing some zinnia and marigold seeds that I started saving this fall, although bringing seeds not a requirement. It’s easy to makeyour own seed envelopes using pages from seed catalogs.

Haul from last year's seed swap!

Next step is to make a list of the seeds I really want to find. Last year my goal was to start tomatoes from seed and I was able to get 5 or 6 varieties. You might be completely overwhelmed by the variety of flower, vegetable and herb seeds available so having a list of what types of seeds you want to grow this year will make your experience much better. And, you probably won’t get everything you want, so make priorities. 

How Do I Find a Seed Swap in my Area?
I will be shaking things up this year by attending the University of Maryland Extension’s seed swap, held at the Odenton Library. I am not working right now and this event is FREE! Plus, I am completing my Master Gardener internship and this will give me some continuing education hours.

After a quick Google search, I see there are many swaps all over the country and they are not just on January 26 so look around for a swap in your area. I will report back on my haul next week. 

Share your #seedswapday experience in the comments and on social media!