It’s something to behold, a small dried piece of fibre that is sometimes hard, sometimes soft.
Put it in the ground and it can turn into a plant that feeds your family, or attracts bees that nurture the ecosystem.
For the second year in a row Saanich’s Seedy Saturday, held this Saturday, is being hosted at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific. Entry is $5 and the event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with seeds, a seed swap, local produce, keynote presentations and a kids table all part of the event.
Vendors are sold out, and the interest is heavy, said co-organizer Elmarie Roberts.
“People get very excited and look forward to it, there is a mighty power to the seed, especially in the doldrums of winter,” Roberts said. “We doubled the amount of vendors and we still sell out.”
An original farmer at Haliburton Farm since it started in 2002, Roberts helped launch Saanich’s Seedy Saturday five years ago. It outgrew the minimal host capacities of Halliburton and now benefits from HCP’s new Mel Couvelier Pavilion.
Seed and plant vendors are organic or close to it, as they have to abide by the safe seed pledge.
This year’s guest speaker is Lori Weidenhammer, who authored Creating a Buzz: Attracting and Feeding Bumblebees in Your Garden.
Weidenhammer will talk at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“It’s the beginning of our winter garden and a lot of enthusiasts get excited to see that,” said HCP event and office manager Dana Gage.
Saanich Seedy Saturday is in three venues at HCP, the Couvelier Pavilion, the lunch room and the class room.
Among the vendors, Saanich Native Plants is always a big hit as the Haliburton-based couple of James and Kirsten Miskelly are working diligently to create a native seed library, something that doesn’t exist on Vancouver Island.
HCP also has a native plant garden that visitors can assess.
Planting native hedgerows are the latest trend, if you would call it that. Since doing so at Halliburton, there is a shared consensus between the farmers there that production is up. The hedgerows bring biodiversity and, most importantly, bees, by the hundreds.
“Since we put in hedgerows there has been an increase in yields, no question,” Roberts said.
Saanich Seedy Saturday’s community seed swap is another popular table, Roberts said. Dollar donations can be made in lieu of seeds. Vendors range from Victoria Master Gardeners, who will offer onsite advice for growing and for plant identification, to Dan Jason, who is behind the renowned Saltspring Seed (he’ll have two tables). Growing Young Farmers will also be there to sign children up for their programming, including spring break camps.
And of course, you can grab some winter produce from Saanich Organics and a few other vendors.
The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific is at 505 Quayle Rd.