Some of the seeds at the first-ever “Seedy Saturday” swap at the Aldergrove Community Garden will be coming from the bigger, older version of the event, held one week earlier.
Amanda Smith, agriculture program coordinator at Langley Environment Partners (LEPS), the organizers of the event, said she will be prepping “boxes and boxes” of seeds gathered from the annual “Seedy Saturday” seed swap and gardening tips event held at Derek Doubleday Arboretum on Saturday,March 23.
“We’ve got tons, actually,” Smith commented.
“We’re giving away unpackaged seeds that I got from Saturday. I’m packaging and cleaning them up, and maybe even handing some seeds out for free [at the Aldergrove event].”
The all-outdoor, smaller version of seedy Saturday will be held at the Aldergrove location, located behind the local Fraser Valley Regional Library Branch on 29th Avenue and beside the bike park at 267B Street, on Saturday, March 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Smith described the event as “more of a food security thing,” aimed at Aldergrove residents.
“We want people to avoid that sticker shock at the grocery store and [try] growing their own and this will be the best way to encourage them to do that.”
As for future plans for the Aldergrove event, “it‘ll be dependent on how many people actually do attend. We’ll [determine] how much we grow it the following year.”
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More than 500 attended the event at Derek Doubleday on March 23.
Smith estimated attendance was up by 50 or 60 from the previous year.
“I always underestimate how many gardeners there are in the Township and City,” Smith commented as the parking lot filled up and people lined up to talk to gardening experts and vendors under outside canopies, and inside the two-storey Rotary Interpretive Centre.
“We have tons of seeds, we have plants, we even have some fresh vegetables to purchase and eggs,” Smith enthused.
“We have guest speakers and a lovely seed swap table.”
Marcel Sachse, from Pinsch of Soil Farm in Langley, was sharing tips and selling seed potatoes outside.
“People ask about how a big of a space they need for potatoes,” Sachse said.
“That’s the basic one. Sometimes [people are] actually surprised that you grow potatoes from a small potato. Some people ask why a certain vegetable didn’t turn out, or what they can grow on their balcony.”
“For me, the biggest appeal is meeting people who are interested in growing food and gardening and plants and also in seeing what other people do with their garden,” Sachse said.
“There’s so much creativity at this event. That always, for me, makes it well worth coming here.”
Rotary Club of Langley president Rudy Storteboom was representing the Arboretum and Botanical Society.
“We’re a volunteer organization that works with the township for the development, care and maintenance of this park,” Storteboom explained.
“It’s a beautiful park – you must come and see it.”
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Bad weather couldn’t keep people away from Seedy Saturday in Langley
Seedy Saturdays began more than 30 years ago at the Keremeos Grist Mill under then- head gardener Sharon Rempel, before growing in popularity to become a feature of spring and a chance to exchange seeds in communities across Canada.
For more information about LEPS, email agriculture@leps.bc.ca, or phone 604-546-0337.
For more about Aldergrove Community Gardens and applying for a garden plot, email aldergrovecommunitygardens@gmail.com.