Saving Seeds: A Home Gardener’s Guide to Preserving Plant Biodiversity

This compact but well-stocked guide by Jason (Awesome Ancient Grains and Seeds) addresses both the how-to and why of saving seeds, promoting an ethos of self-sufficiency and stewardship . Since founding his company on Salt Spring Island, off British Columbia, in 1986, Jason witnessed the change from the U.S. and Canadian governments promoting crop diversity to their ceding control to “corporate agribusiness” pushing a monoculture of genetically modified (GMO) seeds. Stressing the threat to the food supply if a GMO strain should fail, Jason sees independent farmers and amateurs gardeners as having a responsibility for replanting the “global garden” and restoring crop diversity. Jason observes that “people without sophisticated training have been saving seeds for the last 10,000 years,” pragmatically sharing instructions for harvesting and storing tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, and onions, among others, along with tips for “clonal reproduction” (for plants that don’t produce seeds, such as potatoes and garlic). The coverage of “pulses,” a category of legumes (including dry peas, favas, chickpeas, lentils, and “regular dry beans”) will be of special interest, due to their being conducive to soil fertility, resistant to drought, and high in protein and fiber. Jason’s wise guide should resonate with gardeners at all levels. (Aug.)