Seeds are the essence of life on earth, providing the genetic information needed for every plant we currently use for growing food, harvesting for clothing, and creating homes and furniture with. For the everyday person they are vital for the creation of gardens and plant life, while for others they represent the future of the earth as in the case of the Doomsday Seed Vault in Norway which opened in March 2008 with the intention of housing more than 3 million seed samples from around the world. While you will never need to store three million seed samples, you may need to preserve a handful for next year.

The history of preserving seeds -- Initial questions about preserving seeds -- Getting the seed you need -- Where do seeds come from? -- Choosing the right seed -- Producing the seed -- Harvesting mature seeds -- Vegetables -- Fruits -- Planning your flower garden -- Getting things started -- Places, please -- Some things to grow on.