Take & Give: Seed Library
Posted on August 29, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Seed Library Locations
Our Seed Library locations are:
Check for gardening programs on our online events calendar.
How Do Seed Libraries Work?
You borrow from a selection of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds during the year, plant them in your garden, and watch them grow.
When it’s time to harvest, collect some seeds to bring back to the library for the next round of gardeners to enjoy.
Seed Donations
Our seed libraries accept heirloom vegetable seed donations year-round, during open hours.
Be sure to clearly separate and label the seeds you bring in the library for donation. You can get seed envelopes from any of our seed libraries.
Please bring seed donations into the library. Do not place seed donations in our book drop.
To learn how to save seeds from your garden, you can view our how-to videos found on our Urban Farming playlist on YouTube.
Gardening Resources
Check out materials from our catalog on gardening topics, including raised-bed gardening, container gardening, vermiculture (gardening with worms), and seed saving.
If you are thinking about trying some DIY garden projects, you’ll find helpful digital articles and resources from Hobbies & Crafts Source, found in our Digital Library
Even More About Seed Libraries
What is a Seed Lending Library?
You borrow packets vegetable, herb, and flower seeds from a selection in the seed library at any time during the year, plant them in your garden, and watch them grow.
When it’s time to harvest, let a plant or two go to seed, collect the seeds (learn how), and bring them back to the library for the next round of gardeners to enjoy.
Our seed libraries are absolutely dependent upon donations for viability.
Details for seed donations:
- Keep varieties of seed types separated when returning or donating seeds
- Restock information includes the type of vegetable such as: pepper/sweet bell or pepper/habanero
- Only heirloom seeds have the ability to adapt and produce seeds
- Growing plants from hybrid seeds will not allow you to save seeds
About the seed library
- Is maintained by a volunteer-staff cooperative that donates, collects, and packages seeds
- Helps in collecting local heirloom varieties that might otherwise be lost
- Promotes local agriculture by growing collections of seeds locally adapted to the region
- Partners with local experts like the WSU Home Extension, Master Gardeners, and local heirloom growers
- Develops “how-to” classes from planting seeds, companion planting, and saving seeds to preserving your bounty
Why seed lending?
- The practice of saving seeds has been around for many centuries. Many of the varieties grown by our ancestors are being lost.
- Growing and saving seeds from old varieties helps to preserve genetic diversity and encourages our community to reconnect with traditions of growing tasty, healthy foods.
- Heirloom varieties provide different flavor profiles and interesting physical features, such as colorful carrots.
Tags: classes, events, flowers, food, fruit, gardener, gardening, growing, herbs, seed lending, seed libraries, seed library, urban farming, vegetables
