Part 1 The issues: the Seed Savers' Network - why collect?, beginnings, Seed Savers at work; background to biodiversity - seed homelands, life in a freezer, green non-revolution, anyone for hybrids?, designer genes. Part 2 The practicalities: what seeds to save - a variety of sources, plants move, plants adapt, only connect; purity and production - pollination, keeping them pure, annual, biennial, perennial; selecting and collecting - criteria for selection, how many to select, when to collect; after the seed harvest - cleaning, drying, diseases, storing, germination tests; planting and planning - seed starting, rules of thumb for planting, planning a seed garden, permaculture, principles of practical permaculture; a special family - cucurbits - characteristics, pumpkins and squashes, hand pollination, planting the seeds. Part 3 The plants: simplicity rating: amaranth, artichoke, asparagus, basella, basil, bean, beetroot, bitter gourd, borage, broad bean, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, calendula, Cape gooseberry, capsicum and chilli, cardoon, carrot, cassava, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, celtuce, chervil, chicory, chilacayote, Chinese cabbage, chives, choko, collard, coriander, corn, corn salad, cowpea, cucumber, dandelion, dill, eggplant, endive, eschallot, fennel, garland chrysanthemum, garlic, garlic chives, ginger, gourd, gramma, guada bean, hibiscus spinach, hyacinth bean, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, korila, leek, lemongrass, lettuce, lima bean, luffa, marigold, marjoram, mint, mitsuba, mizuna, mustard, mustard greens, nasturtium, New Zealand spinach, oca, okra, onion, orach, oriental cooking melon, pansy and violet, parsley, parsnip, pea, peanut, Peruvian parsnip, poppy, potato, pumpkin, Queensland arrowroot, radish, rhubarb, rocket, rockmelon, rosella, rosemary, runner bean, sage, salad burnet, salsify, silver beet, snake bean, sorrel, soya bean, spinach, spring onion, squash, sunflower, sweet potato, taro, tarragon, thyme, tomato, tree onion, tumeric, turnip, water chestnut, water spinach, watercress, watermelon, wax gourd, winged bean, yam, yam bean. Appendices: pollination table; list of plants by family; index of alternative names.