Government consults on heirloom seeds idea

Brits could soon find it easier to grow heirloom varieties of fruit and vegetables in their gardens and greenhouses.

Strict European regulations have meant that such products must go through a costly testing process before they are approved, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported.

However, complaints about the lack of variety and a new hunger for such seeds have led the European Commission to relax its rules.

The government is now consulting on whether to make it simpler for heirloom seed producers to register their products for sale in the UK.

Running until October 29th, the consultation will take the views of seed sellers and could lead to it becoming easier to acquire heirloom varieties.

Until now, garden and greenhouse owners have had to rely on swap meets and membership with schemes such as Garden Organic.

Meanwhile, the RHS has revealed that Prince Charles is conducting a 12-day garden party to promote environmentally-friendly behaviour.