Courgettes and Iceberg Lettuce Shortage

It’s been interesting listening to people ‘panicking’ about the shortages of courgettes and now, iceberg lettuces. I hope it encourages more people to try to grow their own this year. Ironically, salad crops and courgettes are probably amongst the easiest crops to grow.  Someone pointed out that it wasn’t easy at this time of year without a greenhouse, but as I reminded them – they had a big, warm conservatory they could use!

I think Incredible Edible share my increased enthusiasm to get people ‘sowing their own’ this year too. Their annual Seedy Sunday event is earlier than usual, and is this Sunday (12^th) at Abergavenny Community Centre, Park Street, from 11 am until 3pm.

As always, as well seeds being available, there will be other interesting stalls, including my favourites, Tools for Self-Reliance, and lots homemade cakes, which also encourage you to go gardening after the event to work off the calories!

So, in honour of the event, I thought it appropriate to share a few ‘seedy facts’

The oldest viable seed to have grown into a plant was a date palm seed estimated to be 2,000 years old (making it the only surviving contemporary of Jesus). It was discovered in 1963 when Herod the Great’s fortress of Masada near the Dead Sea was excavated. It was planted in 2005 and now Methuselah, as the plant is called, stands over 4ft high. Botanists believe the seed had managed to remain viable for so long because the Dead Sea area’s climate is exceptionally dry and stable.

The biggest seed belongs to the coco de mer palm (Lodoicea maldivica). Their fruit usually contain just one seed, which can weigh almost three stone.

They only grow on two islands in the Seychelles, and were identified in 1768. For many years the Linnæan name was Lodoicea callipyge with the second word, “lovely-bummed”, deriving from the seed’s resemblance to the said body part.

I’m not sure that you’ll find anything like that at Abergavenny’s Seedy Sunday event but I’m sure there will be lots of other interesting seeds to choose from and friendly advice on hand.