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St Kilda Seed Library

@stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social

510 followers 690 following 340 posts

Mum/wife/daughter/beekeeper #Ōtepoti #Aotearoa 💚🇳🇿 #seedsaving builds #resourced #community using #science #art #meaning #purpose Adapt #seed as #climate changes #seedlibraries #occupationaltherapy trained #Savesharegrow CerebralPalsy MECFS Inclusive af

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St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Sep 11

I have a couple of crosses in the white seeded sunflowers this year.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 23

The Broad Bay seed/plant swap is on today, at 2pm in room 4 of Broad Bay school. Come and get heritage tomato seed, heritage beans, other bits and pieces. Be part of Ōtepoti's growing seedsaving community as we adapt seed to our climate, garden for me tal and physical health and build community

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 23

Seed from each of the selected pumpkins that will be grown out again this year.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 16

#seedswap 2pm next Sunday 24th August, Broad Bay school.
Please bring surplus seeds, any seeds special to you, and pick up some new seeds, there will be tomato multi packs and beans for anyone to help in the Ōtepoti grow outs of tomatoes, beans, capsicums, by sharing couple of fruit back in Autumn

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St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 14

Please join us in building seedy resources for Ōtepoti! Still a lot of tomato seeds for everyone wanting to grow tomatoes, with agreement to share some fruit back in Autumn for seed for 2026 growing season. It's important to be involved in something constructive and beautiful amongst all the news.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 14

Thankyou Leanne; handcrafted packets of Italian parsley, creative, mindful, and in service of community seed sharing.
Some of these will got to the Port Chalmers community seedshare in Port Chalmers public library (thank you also to Debbie and Maloney)

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 10

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 5

This low winter light on these icy mornings does something for my brain 😍 I'm not a photographer, I can't capture its true beauty

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 5

Thank you to Fiona for sharing some White Iceicle radish seed. I will process these and get them out into the library but probably also grow some out here to keep a supply of seed as its very popular

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Aug 2

Thank you to the beautiful Jae for sharing some heirloom tomato and some chilli seed to the library. It is such a privilege to see these seeds as they move around our community. I feel so incredibly lucky to see these varieties as they come and go, season after season.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 31

Who out there in Otepoti is able to help me build up tomato seed for a good cause? Good cause as in free seedy resources for all people.

Im also planning to do this with beans, so if you'd prefer to grow beans, im going to get tomatoes out first and probably get onto beans mid August.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 31

Im so sorry its taken me forever to reply! Are you still after tomato seeds? When suits to catch up?

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This means over time, this hardiness gets selected for over and over and passed on to the next generation. These are naturally hardy vegetables (chard, celtuce, beans, garlic, celery, peas), but any damage from frost shows where any weakness is that would be good to eliminate if possible.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

I've added some photos, just from three days of frost last week, as I dont use frost cloth at all here. I want plants exposed to their environment so I can remove what isnt working, what doesn't tolerate the climate, etc.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This will be something I write more on in the future, because it has taken time to adjust my way of thinking on this, coming from a 'strictly heirloom/heritage varieties ' way of thinking.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This is also one of two very key reasons I'm looking at adaptation seedsaving of one or two plant varieties, alongside heritage seedsaving (the other being the continuation of story, of change, of connection that isn't relegated to just origin, but acknowledgement of change).

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

So, we just keep saving, sharing and growing out local seeds. Its importance and value with regards to climate may not be immediately obvious, but perhaps in our kids, or grandkids generations, this activity may prove its value beyond my own wee seedy obsession.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This looks like vegetables that don't bolt in summer, or dont die from exposure to frosts. Plants that are heat tolerant, that have brace roots to hold up against the spring winds, tomatos that manage outside down here.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This is also a way that we can actively resource our community, actively maintain good seedlines, and allow us to think about climate change in manageable, locally relevant, and proactive ways, and in a grassroots manner.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This is partly why I continually grow out seed here over and over of certain plants to almost force them to express traits that are resilient to this local area.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

Whilst I don't know anywhere near enough about plant genetics to discuss this from any place of knowledge, it is one reason why I'm passionate about local seedsaving and encouraging local seed sharing.

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

growing out seed locally, and promoting local seedsaving education and networks.
Over time, our changing climate will need us to continue to enable seed to adapt, and 'fit' into the environment, with the pressures of these changes forcing the expression of genes that enable adaptation. .

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

The idea of changing seasons is definately an uncomfortable concept, but if future research continues to demonstrate changes to the nature of our seasons as a result of our changing climate,this gives us increasing reason to keep sourcing and sharing seed locally,

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 30

This is a direct share from IFL Science, not the actual paper referenced therein, which is research suggesting that the seasons are changing:

www.facebook.com/share/p/15Hf...

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www.facebook.com

St Kilda Seed Library @stkildaseedlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 27

You're absolutely fine! But please yell out if do get the opportunity and want to grow something, anything. :)