members' seed exchange
How it works
The exchange exists to provide members with a source of seed of many species and varieties of Fritillaria, at a cost very much lower than commercial prices. Most of the material donated to the exchange is rarely, if ever, offered commercially.
As postal costs have risen, and the use of email has become more widespread, the exchange has become email orientated. This is cheaper and quicker (especially for overseas members), and allows us to distribute the seed according to demand.
Donations of seed, bulblets (including “seedlings”), and larger bulbs are the essence of the exchange. We do not purchase seed for the exchange.
We request that all donors of wild collected seed comply with the conservation laws of the countries they visit. For more information about the Nagoya Protocol, CITES and the CBD, please see the Conservation section on the AGS website: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/conservation/
Donors are asked to separate viable seed from chaff, grit etc. There is quite enough work involved in packing and dispatching seed, without the additional burden of separating viable seed, and we try to avoid sending out material that will not germinate or grow.
A deadline is set each year for receipt of donations (usually near the end of August), and a few days after this a list is compiled, and sent out by email to all members for whom we have an email address. However, printed lists will be sent to any member who has requested one for the current year.
Members may request up to 25 packets from the list as first choices, and are asked to identify a similar number of second choices. There is a charge of 50p per packet, but donors of 5 or more taxa (other than acmopetala, meleagris and pontica) receive 5 packets free of charge. Overseas members must ensure that they comply with import regulations – some countries prescribe which species are acceptable, others (notably USA) require import permits, and imports may be restricted to seed only (i.e. no bulblets are permitted).
When packing has been completed, seed is allocated. Donors are given priority, and other requests are processed in order of receipt. Members are notified of the cost of their seed request, based on the number of packets available to them plus an additional charge to cover postage and packing. Payment can be by sterling cheque, cash (GBP or Euros), by bank transfer, or by arrangement by PayPal. Once payment has been received, the seed is dispatched.
We try to complete the process by the end of September, so that seed is available for optimal autumn planting. Any surplus seed is incorporated into the AGS seed exchange.
To make the above arrangements work, please:
1. Donate seed and/or bulblets if you can – no quantity is too small!
2. Note, and adhere to the deadlines for donations and requests.
3. If you want to receive the list, provide the Seed Manager with your current email address, or request a printed list
The Seed Distribution 2021
In 2019 new Plant Health regulations stated that all plants and seed entering the UK would need to be accompanied by Phytosanitary Certificates. The UK Government recently extended the date and announced that Phytosanitary Certificates for seed be required only from January 2022. This means that we can accept donations from the UK and any overseas country for this year’s distribution.
For members in countries outside the EU and Japan there is no change from previous years. You will be able to donate and receive seed in the same way as you have in the past.
Seed entering Northern Ireland, and the EU must now be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate, for which the cost is prohibitive, and not feasible for our distribution.
We are currently engaged in discussion with the RHS and other Plant Societies who have international seed exchanges, to try to find a route through this legislation that will be acceptable and manageable for Plant Societies. Realistically this will not happen this year and we will be working for a change in the future. We will therefore be unable to send seed to Northern Ireland or EU member states.
The above is based on an announcement in the June 2021 AGS News about the AGS Seed Exchange.
Details of this year’s distribution will be on the Group’s website and will be emailed to all members for whom we have an email address. If you don’t have online access and wish to receive the information and/or the seed list in printed form, please contact me by email, phone or letter.
If you are unsure that we have your email address, or have changed it in the last year, please email patcraven24@gmail.com
We request that all donors of wild collected seed comply with the conservation laws of the countries they visit. For more information about the Nagoya Protocol, CITES and the CBD, please see the Conservation section on the AGS website: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/conservation/
KEY DATES
Deadline for donations: Wednesday 25th August 2021 (If your donation will be later than this, please send details of species and whether it is seed or bulblets).
List publication: 30th August 2021 (If you want a list but have not received one by 4th September please inform Pat Craven).
Pat Craven
24 Leven Road
Yarm
TS15 9JE
Tel 01642 780109
mailto:patcraven24@gmail.com
The exchange exists to provide members with a source of seed of many species and varieties of Fritillaria, at a cost very much lower than commercial prices. Most of the material donated to the exchange is rarely, if ever, offered commercially.
As postal costs have risen, and the use of email has become more widespread, the exchange has become email orientated. This is cheaper and quicker (especially for overseas members), and allows us to distribute the seed according to demand.
Donations of seed, bulblets (including “seedlings”), and larger bulbs are the essence of the exchange. We do not purchase seed for the exchange.
We request that all donors of wild collected seed comply with the conservation laws of the countries they visit. For more information about the Nagoya Protocol, CITES and the CBD, please see the Conservation section on the AGS website: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/conservation/
Donors are asked to separate viable seed from chaff, grit etc. There is quite enough work involved in packing and dispatching seed, without the additional burden of separating viable seed, and we try to avoid sending out material that will not germinate or grow.
A deadline is set each year for receipt of donations (usually near the end of August), and a few days after this a list is compiled, and sent out by email to all members for whom we have an email address. However, printed lists will be sent to any member who has requested one for the current year.
Members may request up to 25 packets from the list as first choices, and are asked to identify a similar number of second choices. There is a charge of 50p per packet, but donors of 5 or more taxa (other than acmopetala, meleagris and pontica) receive 5 packets free of charge. Overseas members must ensure that they comply with import regulations – some countries prescribe which species are acceptable, others (notably USA) require import permits, and imports may be restricted to seed only (i.e. no bulblets are permitted).
When packing has been completed, seed is allocated. Donors are given priority, and other requests are processed in order of receipt. Members are notified of the cost of their seed request, based on the number of packets available to them plus an additional charge to cover postage and packing. Payment can be by sterling cheque, cash (GBP or Euros), by bank transfer, or by arrangement by PayPal. Once payment has been received, the seed is dispatched.
We try to complete the process by the end of September, so that seed is available for optimal autumn planting. Any surplus seed is incorporated into the AGS seed exchange.
To make the above arrangements work, please:
1. Donate seed and/or bulblets if you can – no quantity is too small!
2. Note, and adhere to the deadlines for donations and requests.
3. If you want to receive the list, provide the Seed Manager with your current email address, or request a printed list
The Seed Distribution 2021
In 2019 new Plant Health regulations stated that all plants and seed entering the UK would need to be accompanied by Phytosanitary Certificates. The UK Government recently extended the date and announced that Phytosanitary Certificates for seed be required only from January 2022. This means that we can accept donations from the UK and any overseas country for this year’s distribution.
For members in countries outside the EU and Japan there is no change from previous years. You will be able to donate and receive seed in the same way as you have in the past.
Seed entering Northern Ireland, and the EU must now be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate, for which the cost is prohibitive, and not feasible for our distribution.
We are currently engaged in discussion with the RHS and other Plant Societies who have international seed exchanges, to try to find a route through this legislation that will be acceptable and manageable for Plant Societies. Realistically this will not happen this year and we will be working for a change in the future. We will therefore be unable to send seed to Northern Ireland or EU member states.
The above is based on an announcement in the June 2021 AGS News about the AGS Seed Exchange.
Details of this year’s distribution will be on the Group’s website and will be emailed to all members for whom we have an email address. If you don’t have online access and wish to receive the information and/or the seed list in printed form, please contact me by email, phone or letter.
If you are unsure that we have your email address, or have changed it in the last year, please email patcraven24@gmail.com
We request that all donors of wild collected seed comply with the conservation laws of the countries they visit. For more information about the Nagoya Protocol, CITES and the CBD, please see the Conservation section on the AGS website: http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/conservation/
KEY DATES
Deadline for donations: Wednesday 25th August 2021 (If your donation will be later than this, please send details of species and whether it is seed or bulblets).
List publication: 30th August 2021 (If you want a list but have not received one by 4th September please inform Pat Craven).
Pat Craven
24 Leven Road
Yarm
TS15 9JE
Tel 01642 780109
mailto:patcraven24@gmail.com