Saatgut: Düsseldorf Seed Festival

The Seed Festival in Düsseldorf encourages people to grow older heirloom varieties of edible plants like vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Even if you just have a balcony, you can enjoy growing your own!

Old favourites and new surprises

Modern seed varieties are often bred for ease of growing and resistance to common diseases, which definitely helps home gardeners. However, they’re also bred for hardiness of the vegetables and fruit and good storage times, not necessarily for the best taste.

Older heirloom tomato varieties, on the other hand, tend to be very tasty, but only on the day they are picked. Perfect for a balcony tomato patch! You can also check with your local citizens' office for local community garden plots.

Potted history of seed trading

Seed saving and seed libraries have been prevalent for as long as people have planted crops to feed themselves.

Saving the seeds from each year’s harvest would allow you to plant the next one, and talking to friends and neighbours about their own crops would lead to learning about new strains of peas, beans, corn and wheat that grew stronger, taller or more plentiful. Now, seed festivals and fairs are about keeping old heirloom strains alive.

Düsseldorf’s Seed Festival is more than just seeds

There will be collections of seeds to look through and buy, but also lots of homemade products like perfumes, jams, and seed bombs, and workshops including natural fabric dyeing, and ink making. If you’re worried about your ability to grow things from seed, there will also be little plants ready to take home and nurture.

Get advice on growing your own vegetables

One of the best things about attending a local event like this is that the seeds will be adapted to the local climate. They will be more likely to do well and give you the best chance of reaping a wonderful, edible harvest.

The people selling the seeds will also be able to give you great advice about growing each variety too, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re lucky enough to buy a house, you’ll have lots of space to fill with local plants!

Attending the Saatgut Seed Festival

It’s worth noting that arriving by car might be a challenge, as there is not much parking. Coming by public transport will be easier. More information about the festival can be found on the Saatgut website.