the seed detective
intrepid seed hunter & writer adam alexander
Having read Adam’s fascinating book “The Seed Detective”, I decided to pay him a vist at his home in Wales. He lectures widely on his work, discovering and conserving rare, endangered garden crops and is a board member of the national charity Garden Organic. His knowledge and expertise on growing out vegetables for seed is highly valued by the Heritage Seed Library, for which he is a seed guardian.
“Since I discovered my first heirloom pepper in Donetsk in the late eighties I have been on a quest to seek out unusual, rare, endangered and above all, delicious vegetables that I could grow at home. Saving seeds of these varieties is at the heart of what I do: first and foremost for the Heritage Seed Library, to share with other growers, to return to the cultures that have lost or are losing them and to encourage the cultivation of local varieties in the UK that can be widely enjoyed by everyone who wants to reconnect with their own food culture and eat local. I am fortunate to have travelled widely for work and discovery. The first place I want to go when I am in a new country or city is the local morning market. There I hope to find growers selling produce grown from seeds that have been in their family, often for generations. Many of my most exciting discoveries have been in Myanmar, Laos, Rajasthan and Syria
Season: Summer, June
Location: Wales