A love of shishito peppers prompted Martin Fuchs to save 30 seeds from plants he bought at a garden center and plant them the following spring at his Upper Moreland home, writes Jere Downs for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

However, they did not sprout because he harvested the seeds too soon. Still, he decided not to give up and five years later, his basement boasts a true bounty of fresh goodies. The Jimmy Nardello long hots, the pepperoncini, the shishito, and several others are already sprouting beneath hanging lights.

His success from seed swapping came slowly, from online advice he got from various Facebook groups, such as Pennsylvania Gardeners and the Seed Savers Exchange.

While Fuchs started earlier, many people picked up gardening during the pandemic due to boredom, food security anxiety, or interest in a sustainable lifestyle.

Many of them will be at the Evansburg United Methodist Church in Collegeville on February 12 for the First Annual Seed Swap.

“You learn one thing. You grow. You learn another,” said Fuchs. “It’s all about patience. This year, I think I am going to need another raised bed in the backyard.”

Read more about seed swapping and saving with Martin Fuchs garden in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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