Adelaide Botanic Garden is inviting gardeners, families and budding green thumbs to swap, share and be inspired at the inaugural Great Botanic Seed Swap and Share this October.
Held on Sunday 11 October as part of the Nature Festival, the event will transform the Rose Garden Pavilion into a celebration of seeds, gardening and community fun, while raising funds to support the vital conservation work of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre.
Whether you’re an experienced seed saver or have never collected seeds before, everyone can get involved.
Gardeners can bring along saved seeds from common kitchen garden plants to exchange for something new to grow at home. Those without seeds can make a small donation to purchase tokens and join the swapping fun.
The family-friendly event will have all the atmosphere of a community fete, with hands-on stalls, children’s activities, live music, a sausage sizzle, tours and workshops and plenty of opportunities to learn more about the remarkable world of seeds.
ABC Radio will also broadcast live from the Garden from 10am to 12pm, with much-loved gardening expert Sophie Thomson hosting her talkback gardening program.
Activities
Program
10.00am –12.00pm: ABC Radio Adelaide Live outside broadcast with Jason Chong, including Talkback Gardening with Sophie Thomson from 11am
10.00am-12.00pm: Live music
11.30am –13.15pm: Tutti Arts “The Beekeepers” roving performances
12.15pm –14.15pm: Musical Plants performance with Flavio and Clarens
Workshops and Tours
Why not make a day of it by booking one of these additional activities before or after you enjoy the seed swap? (Separate ticket required)
The Journey of a Seed: Stories from the Seed Conservation Centre. Hear first-hand stories directly about the scientists and flora ecologists working on the frontline of plant conservation.
10.15am-11.00am
Behind the Seeds: A snapshot of the Seed Conservation Centre. Explore the laboratories and seed bank in a 30-minute sneak peek with the science team.
Three sessions: 11.30am – 12.00pm, 12.30pm – 1.00pm, 1.30pm – 2.00pm
Pods Hold Stories: seed drawing workshop. Get arty with local artist Stephanie Doddridge.
Two sessions: 12.00pm – 1.00pm, and 1.30pm-2.30pm
Profits from the event will support the science and conservation work of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, which helps to protect South Australia’s rare and threatened plant species from extinction.
Director Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Michael Harvey, said the event was a chance for South Australians to come together over a shared love of gardening while supporting plant conservation.
“There’s something wonderful about saving a seed from your garden, sharing it with someone else and knowing it could become part of another thriving garden. It’s a great way to try something new in your patch and discover exciting varieties of vegetables, herbs and kitchen garden plants you might not have come across before.
“Seed saving is a simple way to save money, protect plant diversity and connect with other gardeners, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert to get involved.
“The Great Botanic Seed Swap and Share will be a fantastic day out for gardeners and families, while also helping raise funds for the important conservation work of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre.”
What: The Great Botanic Seed Swap and Share
When: Sunday 11 October 2026
Times:
Session one: 10.00am–12.00pm
Session two: 12.15pm–2.15pm
Where: Rose Garden Pavilion, Adelaide Botanic Garden (reference B6 on the map)
Tickets: $15 per person; children 12 and under free
Bookings: book online via the Botanic Gardens website
Seeds to bring: Kitchen garden vegetables, fruits, herbs and companion plants such as flowers – including edible ones!
Bring them along in any convenient way, and we will swap them for tokens which you can use on the day. Our team will package your seeds up to swap with other growers on the day.
For biosecurity reasons, please don’t bring in wild-collected seeds, or those from plants on the declared weeds list.
