Borrow, Plant and Share Seeds with the New Heirloom Seed Library
February 26, 2015 — Gardeners can try their hand at growing vegetables, herbs and flowers with little risk when they borrow seeds at no cost from the Springfield-Greene County Library’s new Heirloom Seed Library.
Seed packet displays are at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., and the Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway.
Gardeners can choose from a variety of heirloom seeds to borrow with their Springfield-Greene County Library card. The ideas is to plant them at home or in your community garden, enjoy the harvest, then save the seeds and return them to the seed library for others to plant next season.
These are “open-pollinated,” heirloom seeds. They have been pollinated by natural means such as insects, birds or wind; not manipulated to become hybrid varieties. And like your family heirlooms, they have been saved after the harvest and passed along to other gardeners.
The starting collection of seeds available at the libraries was generously donated by a variety of local and national seed companies. Visit thelibrary.org/seedcatalog to see all the varieties available in the Heirloom Seed Library. Learn details about the seed library at thelibrary.org/seedlibrary.
Why is seed saving important? Today’s gardeners are returning to the seed-saving tradition, when harvesting and protecting the previous year’s seeds was essential to providing the next crop. Seed saving creates a seed stock well-suited to the Ozarks climate, the plants are more pest-resistant, and growers save money on their seeds and plants. Seed saving helps create a culture of sharing and community, too!
Here are some upcoming programs to teach you what you need to know:
- Start Your Own Community Garden, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, Midtown Carnegie Branch.
- Basic Garden Planning, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, Midtown Carnegie Branch.
- Planting Your Spring Garden, 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, Library Station.
- DIY Herbal Remedies for Summer, 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23, Midtown Carnegie Branch.
- Super Easy Seed Saving, 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, Midtown Carnegie Branch.
- Super Easy Seed Saving, 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Library Station.
- Heirloom Seed Festival, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, Library Station.