Koda, Marlin and Betts with Sue taking a Christmas Eve day walk at DuPont Forst

In my last blog (and for those who read it/posted comments, thanks so much), I waited until the end to raise a potential issue that has been nagging at me for some time. I want to take my time describing the situation that has been on my mind for some years. I will split it into two parts, since it is a pretty meaty topic.

Here’s a really quick history primer on gardening in the USA. The very first seed catalogs arose in the early 1800s, mainly carrying varieties introduced in Europe. There were no hybrids being sold - everything was open pollinated (genetically stable and reproducible from saved seeds). American seedsmen, with breeding programs, really took off starting in the mid 1800s, and the proliferation of named varieties was rapid. This continued unabated until hybrid varieties began to appear in catalogs (for example, Burpee’s Big Boy, a major tomato introduction, in 1949). From that point on, the number of varieties of most things began to decrease, and the focus on creating new hybrids significantly increased.

By the mid 1970s, non-hybrid (open pollinated) varieties were in serious decline. Kent Whealy noted this and, in 1975, launched the Seed Savers Exchange to provide a mechanism for sharing rare, local open pollinated varieties more widely. The best way to ensure a variety doesn’t vanish is to grow it, save seeds from it and share it. All of a sudden, tomatoes could be grown well beyond red, and the diversity of beans, watermelons, muskmelon, lettuce (just to mention a few species) exploded, thanks not only to the success of the SSE, but the many smaller seed companies that it stimulated, focusing on non-hybrids. All seemed to be going in the right direction, as older varieties were being preserved, and new varieties continued to be created.

During this time, preservation of open pollinated varieties appeared to be in excellent hands. The Seed Savers Exchange, the USDA, and since 2008, the Svalsbad Global Seed Vault all focused on maintaining viable seeds of the explosion of varieties being saved (and even created). All seemed to be well for preserving our genetic horticultural heritage. In addition, the goal of Kent and Diane Whealy and the benefits of the SSE became a reality. The number of varieties available for gardeners to grow exploded. Those who gardened between the mid 1980s, right through to today, are the most fortunate in history with regard to the diversity of choices. Smaller seed companies, offering regional specialties or diving deep into particular crops, sit alongside the older and larger hybrid-focused companies. Choosing what to grow can be fun - and daunting!

Lake Julia in DuPont Forest on Christmas Eve day

We find ourselves at a rather unique time in horticultural history. The SSE was very successful in attracting some avid gardeners that ended up becoming obsessed with building large collections of varieties. My friend Jeff amassed a significant lettuce collection. I focused on tomatoes, as did many others such as Calvin Wait and Bill Minkey, and before them, Edmund Brown, Thane Earle and Faxon Stinnett. There was apple specialists, bean collectors, and essentially a few avid seed savers for each crop type.

This ends part 1 of this important topic. Within a week I will complete the story and pose the challenge, as it has come to me over the past few years.