Transition Bedford

Growing your own fruit and veg can get expensive, if you’re splashing out on new tools, compost and even a snazzy new shed (er, yes, I’m guilty as charged). But there’s no need to spend a lot of money on seeds. Seed swaps are springing up all over the country as a way of  sharing the bounty of seed that comes from saving your own, and spreading the excess of packets that comes from an overenthusiastic session at the garden centre!

Bedford is no exception, and on March 5 from 10-1 the second annual Seed Sharing Saturday takes place at the Bunyan Church Hall on Mill Street. There’ll be free seeds for all (even if you don’t have any to swap, and people on hand to offer advice, and refreshments of course. Oh, and Garden Share Bedford will be there to spread the word about our new matchmaking service for gardens and growers, so do come along to find out more!

All the details on the seed swap are available on the Bedford Borough Council website, or download this poster (PDF file) and put it up in your window to let more people know about the event.

Beautiful and productive - a potato flower. Photograph: Jane Perrone

When I first took on an allotment, outside of a few parts of central London, there was no such thing as a waiting list for a plot: you could take your pick from the one with waist-high brambles or the one strewn with witches knickers. Now, just a few years on, there’s a wait of months or years for most allotment sites, including those in Bedford. Climate change, rising food prices and increasing awareness of the health benefits of fresh homegrown fruit and veg have convinced more and more of us that we should start growing food ourselves. But not everyone has access to outside space, or the knowledge and skills to learn how to grow. And some people who do have the space don’t have the time or resources to use it

So what to do? Garden Share Bedford is a group of local people who all care passionately about the benefits of grow your own. We come from three community groups – Transition Bedford, Zero Carbon Castle and We Are Bedford and we joined forces because we think we can match up the people with the space to the people who want to grow, and help everyone eat more local food into the bargain.

So how are we going to do it? Well we’re looking for three types of people:

• garden owners – have you got an allotment or garden that’s not being used to its full potential?
• growers – are you desperate to grow but don’t have anywhere to do it?
• advisers – are you a seasoned veg grower who could offer your expertise to beginners or to local schools or other community groups?

If you fill any of these categories, let us know by emailing gardensharebedford@gmail.com with your name and details of what you are looking for. We’ll be in touch shortly to ask you to fill in an information form. And you can visit our Facebook page to meet other potential sharers and growers – there will also be information sheets available to download if you want to know more. If you want to meet us in person, we’ll be at the Bedford seed swap event on March 5 and at the Castle Quay Weekender on March 19/20.