All gardeners out there, both beginners and experienced, who enjoy growing new plants, will enjoy the fourth annual Saving Seeds Workshop and Seed Swap Day on Saturday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Knox & Lincoln County Extension, 377 Manktown Road in Waldoboro. If a snow date is needed, it is planned for the following Saturday, Feb. 2. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served. Please join Master Gardener Jean Vose at this workshop and swap. The 10 a.m. workshop is an introduction to seed saving and swapping.

It is not necessary to bring seeds to swap to attend this program. Remember to bring your friends, favorite saved seeds, catalogues and gardening stories to share.

Vose has been facilitating this swap for four years and is a strong advocate for growing native and heirloom plants. The slideshow talk gives an overview of saving seeds including the history and tradition, why it is important, how seed saving relates to food security, and the best sources for seed.  Although people have been swapping seeds since time began, these days people usually buy seeds. This old skill of swapping seeds is disappearing from our culture. When you save your own seeds, you are joining a chain of farmers, gardeners and seed savers that dates back to the Stone Age.

Guidelines for swapping seeds: Please do not bring seed collected from hybrid plants, as they won't grow true to type; no GMO seed; bring any special growing instructions; ex. full sun, moist soil, shade; bring perennial, annual or biannual seeds. Envelopes and labels will be provided for seeds and for writing seed information. Please bring any information you know about your seeds including common name/variety, the year the seeds were collected, where they were grown and who grew them and any other information about what makes the variety unique, or tips for growing.

Vose is a Master Gardener, certified horticulturist and backyard beekeeper living in Nobleboro where she has created gardens to attract pollinators as well as the other beneficial creatures. The original homestead, established in 1910, features a farmhouse of that era bounded by more than 200 acres of open fields and mixed woods. Most of her gardens have been established for over 15 years. She has been a backyard beekeeper since 1986.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information or questions about this event, call Jean at 563-7564 or email godslove@tidewater.net

For directions to the Extension office, visit the website https://extension.umaine.edu/knox-lincoln/directions/