Haven't we all been enthralled by those jolly people over the pond - exchanging their seeds merrily in Round Robins, and getting all the seeds they can ever grow - free!
Unfair, I call it. Where, I humbly ask, are OUR UK seed Round Robins?
When I participated in a US Round Robin last year, I was stunned by the fabulous variety of seed packets I received. And the delightful people I got to know, many of whom went on to exchange further seeds with me
Alas, it's no longer possible for UK folk to take part in US seed Round Robins (at least, not legally). A monstrous edict - the phytosanitation laws - now makes it illegal to mail seed to the US.
Of course, there are a million mischievous ways of cocking a snook at that law, but...
It seems to me, we Brits must stick together. And start our OWN Seed Round Robin.
I'll happily coordinate it (using my humble experience of the US exchange I was involved in).
May I suggest we limit the Round Robin initally just to vegetable and herb seeds? (That makes it easier for us all to trade like with like. Later, we can expand it as we wish...)
If you're interested, please post a 'Yes' here and, if I get a quorum of - say, eight - willing participants, I'll post the gentle ground rules here. And the UK's FIRST Round Robin will be on its way!
So... would you like more free seed than you can ever grow? Just for the cost of a postage stamp? And meet some delightful people too?
Just post me a reply here - and I'll acknowledge every reply, here.
JOHN YEOMAN
The Village Guild
PS: There's no reason why folk throughout Europe shouldn't also take part, of course. Many a seed packet have I exchanged with friends in Switzerland, Holland, France & Spain - and it's legal!
This message was edited Friday, Feb 22nd 1:47 PM
Let's start a UK Seed Round Robin!
John
We had a RR in the Autumn hosted by Lilith which included a couple of N European members.
On trading with the US note, we've recently had a discussion about this on the International Trading forum. Poppysue linked a great page and on further research it appears that the enforcement of Phyto certificates were simply enforcements on restricted items only and only where seeds were mentioned. It appears that there is no problem with sending anything not on the prohibited and restricted lists.
Anyway back to the UK/Europe RR, count me in please. I've not many veg to trade but I do have some herb seeds, do medicinal herbs count?
Baa
Thank you so much for your clarification.
I've been smuggling seeds into the US of late, to fellow seed sharers, using devices worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps 'twas all to no avail?
Yes, I count you in!
Why indeed should we not make this an International seed Round Robin?
BTW, I've found an interesting wrinkle. The R Robins I've seen tend to peter out after eg. the 12th participant. Why? Why indeed cannot they be perpetual?
If I start a R Robin, and my name is last on the list, all I do when I receive the packet back is to... mail it on to the first person on the list. Again. And so on, ad infinitum.
Thus, the package changes its contents continuously. It becomes as immortal as twitch grass. And we all get our choice of the latest seeds. Continuously...
Is that genius? Or is it not? (Ok, you'll tell me it's been tried before...)
BTW, is yours the fastest ever recorded reply to a Forum post here?
Yours, in admiration
JOHN YEOMAN
Count me in. :)
LOL John
Oooo you daring seed smuggler!
Naw I'm not the fastest poster here, fingers and keyboard aren't in tune with each other enough :)
Not sure why RRs peter out, I reckon you're right in principal, but it perhaps needs to factor supply and demand and size of land each member has. Could that question be a potential PhD thesis?
Yours rambling aimlessly (as usual)
Baa
PhD thesis? Yay, a Round Robin would make a lovely topic for a logistics, sociology or statistics graduate to explore - with experiental evidence so cheaply to hand!
Um, let's suppose we started scientifically with 100 R Robins and counted the days till each had returned to the sender? And each participant inserted notes in the package en route to reveal their garden size, type, soil, climate (plus astrological sign, name of pet and inside leg measurement), etc.
The starter would gain a definitive guide to the Science of Round Robins, and a sociologist might write a book on it, irresistibly titled: 'New Virtual Communities: the Gaeian Paradigm'. Or some such.
SERIOUSLY, folks, let's split this new R Robin into two: a European-only R Robin and an International R Robin.
Reason?
When I took part in the US venture last year, I inadvertently slowed everyone down because my packet - though airmailed back the very same day I received it - took 18 days to make the circuit from the US to UK and back again.
Intra-european airmail should take just 2-3 days (much the same as UK 1st class post). Folk who enter the International R Robin, however, will know to expect a more languid transit time.
Sound reasonable?
Meanwhile, I await your messages of 'count me in'!
JOHN YEOMAN
Evert
Thanks. I've counted you in!
Details to follow.
JOHN YEOMAN
I wouldn't mind trying an RR again but I don't have vegetables or herbs. If you get a flower/tree/tropical seed RR together, count me in please. :-)
Thanks!
Deborah
I don't have almost any vegetable or herb seeds either.. Only tropicals, trees, flowes.. :/
This message was edited Friday, Mar 8th 4:06 PM
No vegetables?
Well, I've nothing against folk who grow flowers, bonsai, cacti or even Venus flower traps, it's just that - to get a quorum of say 8 folk to start the RR - it seemed reasonable to keep it to similar types of seed.
I thought, well, everyone grows vegetables. Don't we?
Also, we Europeans in Dave's Garden comprise a much smaller population than the Americans do. So I'd worry whether we'd get together enough participants for a non-vegetable RR...
But I'm open to persuasion!
If I get enough participants for a flower RR, let's start one.
Your entries - veg or flower - are welcome now!
JOHN YEOMAN
Hi, am I still in time for this? I must confess I've been sending stuff to USA still, and so far have ahd no probs, it's all got there :-)I'll try any sorts of seeds, veggies, flowers, herbs, you name it I'll give t a go !
Can you count me in as well please? Haven't got lots of spare seed yet, but can find some - herb, veg and flowers.
Very ignorant - haven't even started the course in RR's, let alone do a PhD - how does it work?
count me in too! am i too late?
Lilith
Are you too late? No! 'Jump up on the cart!'
(Forgive me, I quote from that classic '60s skiffle song 'My old man's a dustman'. I apologise to anyone who's regrettably not British and/or younger than 50, for this irredeemably ageist reference...)
I need just four more participants to get a quorum and start the Round Robin.
Join us!
JOHN YEOMAN
I never did quite understand what cor blimey trousers were LOL.
Yes count me in-got flower seeds.
Folks!
I count you all in. Now all I need is a few more RR volunteers to say 'count me in', and I'll post the gentle ground rules.
Yours, in the spirit of Lonnie Donegan
JOHN YEOMAN
Makes me chuckle you quoting from that one John, i used to sing that to my Dad to annoy him, as i used to tell him that that was what I wanted to be when i grew up, and he used to say 'over my dead body' .
Dear SueOne
Just to get this RR going, I pledge to give to everyone who enters - the unlisted phone number of Charlie Dimmock.
Inexplicably, I don't have it to hand but... in lieu, I will whistle 'My old man's a dustman' to any participant who e-mails me their phone number plus a disclaimer for any contingent injury thereby caused.
Come on, folks, I need just four more participants!
(Or am I whistling in the dark?)
JOHN
John, instead of Carlie's , how about Tommy's? he can come and do all my little jobs that need doing.
Oh dearest folks
So far, we have seven serious contenders for the European seed Round Robin (thanks to you all). But your offerings seem to be scattered all over the botanica.
I had privily hoped that I might secure a quorum of, say, ten European vegetable seed enthusiasts - from Finland to Gibraltar - to kick-start this Round Robin.
Alas, my privy thoughts have been dashed.
So unless I get a rush of participants in the next few days, I must reluctantly declare this idea deceased, withered and moribund - and yet another of Yeoman's Follies.
Oh well, there's still those seed-sharing folk Over The Pond we can communicate with. If we must. I suppose...
Yours, weeping into his unrequited seed packets
JOHN YEOMAN
Hello I haven't visited this site all winter, it's good to be back but who on earth would want Charlies's phone number, but then I'm not male. I met her at the new alnwick garden where she has been doing some filming for the duchess's magnificent garden. It is going to be a very special garden.
Anyway I would love to join in, but would prefer flower seeds to veggies.
Spring is here yippee
John
Its a pity you don't want to continue but I understand.
OK how about we have a RR anyway with an anything goes (seedwise ladies and gents!) theme?
Sounds good to me....!
Baa
You are a lovely lady (or have I said that before?)
Why don't YOU start a UK Round Robin? You have a few splendrous folk already listed here, who will muck in.
And I pledge to contribute my packets too. (Alas, they're merely rare priceless heirloom veggies...)
I think this calls for a new thread. Titled: 'Why we all hate John Yeoman'?
Yours, feeling paranoid (but hopeful)
JOHN
We don't have you everybody don't just have veggie seeds, haha =)