Seeds with Soul
Why Open-Pollinated varieties hold a special place in our gardens - and hearts.
Let’s talk about seeds.
Not the sterile little pellets in plastic packets from big-box stores, but the real ones. The knobbly, storied, life-packed kind. The kind Nana tucked into envelopes or that lived in reused jam jars at the back of the pantry. The kind that still smell like summer.
Open-pollinated seeds have a story to tell - they’re living heirlooms.
Tiny time travellers. Each one carries stories, survival skills, and a bit of sass from the generations who grew them before you.
How wild is that?
“These seeds are more than just a way to grow flowers and food; they’re a connection to our past and a promise for the future.”
I’ve got a crystal-clear memory of Mum’s massive glass jar of dried runner beans. The ones she planted year after year. Picture wee me, standing barefoot in the carport, arm plunged into the jar like it was treasure. I’d let those glossy beans spill through my fingers - cool and smooth, black-bellied and purple-spined. Those beans weren’t just seeds. They were magic.
And come summer? That bean wall would explode into green. All lush leaves, bright orange flowers, and eventually, fat, scratchy-skinned beans that we crunched straight off the vine. Not glamorous. Not supermarket pretty. But honest and unforgettable.
That’s the thing with open-pollinated varieties. They taste like something.
Like sunshine.
Like soil.
Like memory.
Like those beans, open-pollinated varieties are often prized for their superior flavour and nutritional content.
You just need to taste a Black Krim tomato straight from the vine to know exactly what I mean or read up on Monty’s Surprise apples and their powerhouse health stats.
One of the best parts? You can save the seeds of open-pollinated seeds, again and again. They’re not patented. They don’t need special treatment. Just a bit of time, a sharp eye, and maybe a paper bag or two. They want to keep going.
And with this unpredictable climate doing whatever it wants, open-pollinated seeds are the tough cookies you want in your corner. Because they’re genetically diverse, they adapt. They’ve learned to roll with the punches, whether it’s surprise frosts, late rain, or a scorcher of a summer.
For those new to gardening, open-pollinated seeds are open to the whims of nature. Unlike their hybrid counterparts, which result from controlled cross-pollination, open-pollinated seeds are pollinated naturally by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms. This natural pollination process allows for rich genetic diversity within each seed.
I’ve been experimenting with seed saving for over two decades now. It started off pretty casual, just collecting seeds from our tastiest tomatoes and prettiest calendula. BUT it has turned into something way bigger. Now my sons and I have a boutique seed business where we grow and save seeds not just for us, but for the community.
It’s honestly one of the most hopeful things we do.
Every seed we tuck into a packet feels is an invitation to YOU!
To get your hands dirty, to connect with your place, and to be part of something way bigger than a garden bed. It’s future-building, in the simplest, most satisfying way.
So, next time you plant something, ask yourself: What story is this seed telling me?
Because chances are, it’s got a lot to say and a lot to give.