Bristol Seedswap Guardians

Seed Guardians is an extension of the Bristol Seed Swap community. We are a network of local growers dedicated to preserving heritage and rare plant varieties by sharing practical seed-saving knowledge. In Bristol, over 300 people have already joined this shared learning community.

Heritage seeds are at risk of extinction.

Across the world, companies are promoting restrictive seed and intellectual property laws that grant exclusive power to the corporate sector while limiting the possibilities of small farmers to save, exchange and further develop their own varieties. By keeping the heritage variety alive, you are helping to protect a diverse gene pool, which will be more resilient to pests, diseases, and climate change.

Sign up to become a Seed Guardian for Bristol Seed Swap,

we’ll all be able to:

Grow and enjoy rare and interesting food varieties which are not available in shops or garden centres
Have a sure supply of home saved seed from you all coming back into Bristol Seed Swap for next year
Maintain a dynasty of seeds that become specially adapted to Bristol’s unique environment over time
Join plant swaps and social events to learn seed-saving techniques and meet new friends
Receive information and support on how to improve heritage seed saving
Share the Harvest: Label your saved seeds and bring them back to the Seed Guardian’s table to share with the city!

How to get started:

Visit the Seed Guardian’s table to join our community. At the 2026 swap our table will be upstairs. Our volunteers are ready to support you throughout the growing season.

If you are unable to get to this years swap

Sign up to the Bristol Seedswap Guardian Facebook page, this is a private group for sharing information, learning and seeking advice from the community
Send an email to seedswapguardians@gmail.com