Do you have a garden or are you looking to start one? Get started with help from our Seed Library!
Borrowing Seeds – Visit our Seed Library located behind our main circulation desk. Browse through the drawers and choose up to five brown paper seed packets. Log what packets you’ve chosen on the Seed Sign-Out Sheet. Bring your seeds home and begin planting!
Donating Seeds – Place the vegetable, flower, or fruit seeds (no more than two years old please) you’d like to donate in an envelope (if you need an envelope, we have some available at the Seed Library.) If the seed information isn’t already provided on the envelope, please include a separate piece of paper with the following information:
1) Seed name and variety (e.g., tomato / roma)
2) Date the seed was harvested (e.g., harvest date: Sept. 2022)
3) Where the seed came from (e.g., my garden, or the company name, if purchased)
4) Planting instructions or information that you may have (e.g., full or partial sun, planting depth, etc.)
Drop any seed envelopes you’d like to donate in the red donation bin on the seed cabinet.
Thank you for participating and contributing to our Seed Library! Happy planting!
GARDENING INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:
Growing Seeds – Each of the seed packets in our Seed Library have planting instructions included. If you are looking for more information, see the following links or visit the Seed Library for informational handouts or ask a librarian about where to find books about gardening.
Plant Something – Grow Massachusetts!
https://ag.umass.edu/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/starting-seeds-indoors
7 Steps to Starting Your Own Garden This Spring
Saving Seeds – Once you have grown your seeds, plan to use 1-2 of your best plants for seed harvesting by letting the plants go to seed. To learn how to save seeds from various vegetables, herbs and flowers, you can visit the Seed Library for some handouts, borrow a book about it or explore the following link with tips on how to save seeds:
https://ag.umass.edu/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/seed-saving