Is there anywhere that flogs packets of seeds that contain modest numbers of seeds? For example, packets of most tomato varieties each contain a squillion seeds of that variety, great if you have forty acres under glass and want to become a major producer but a heck of a waste if you just want a handful of each of four or five varieties. Unless you know someone (in fact several someones) to swap seed with (ooh, stoppit matron) you either buy several different packets (and get the labelling mixed up but that is another issue) and are left with 95% of the contents unsown, or become a monoculturist and only grow the one variety with the consequent single productive period, or spend more money buying individual plants at the garden centre which is not really what I hoped to do.
I stretch me seeds over as many years as I can keep 'em viable but still end up chucking loads away. I only have my garden so there are no suitable 'adjacent plots' and sadly none of the neighbours seem greatly interested in veggie growing so my scope for localised swapping is somewhat limited, although I am reasonably successful at persuading them to take the unwanted ready to bed out spares of flowers from the tiny pinches of seeds out of stuff like mesembryanthemum (average contents about 30000 or so)
Obviously the problem is lessened with the F1 types, courgettes and stuff with their average contents six and what looks like a broken half one (and for the courgettes and most of the other 'big seed' ones every one is a loved and cherished friend) , but for all the bread and butter small seed stuff it remains an annoyance.
No doubt this is already well known to everyone except me (aaaargh paranoia is back), but I seem to be having a senior moment when looking for the subject. Any pointers would be gratefully received so hopefully I can plan to make 2010 a more efficient seed purchasing season in Casa Hamstergbert!