The Seed Library offers a collection of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that are free for Stillwater County Library card holders. Through the sharing of seeds, we strive to:
- Build a local collection of seeds adapted to our area.
- Address food insecurity.
- Nurture a culture of sharing and abundance.
- Encourage our community to dig in and garden.
- Educate our community about growing, harvesting, and saving seeds.
- Reconnect our community to the traditions of growing healthy, delicious food.
“Borrowing” Seeds:
You must have a Stillwater County Library card to “borrow” seeds.
Seeds are arranged in containers by type (vegetable, herb, flower), and then alphabetically by common name. After making your selections, please take them to the circulation desk to be “checked out.”
Each household may “borrow” up to twenty (20) seed packets per year, and no more than two (2) packets of any one variety. Please take only what you will plant.
Resources:
Find various gardening resources on the Seed Library table or in our collection!
Don’t forget to join our Stillwater County Library Seed Library Facebook group for tips and information.
Saving Seeds:
If you’re a beginner gardener, don’t worry about saving seeds. Focus first on having fun and learning how to garden – the seed saving part will come later. Seeds should be saved according to best practices and not be returned to the library unless the grower knows how to properly save them.
Experienced savers are encouraged to donate.
Donating Guidelines:
- We prefer open-pollinated or heirloom varieties. They should come from plants that were only grown around the same variety. For example, if you grew several kinds of squash near each other, the resulting seeds may produce hybrid plants. If you only grow one variety, such as crookneck yellow squash but no other kinds in the Cucurbit family, those seeds would likely not produce hybrids so we would accept those.
- Commercial seed packages, unopened or leftover are welcome.
- We only accept hybrid seeds if they come from a seed company. Seeds from a hybrid variety (often labeled as “F1” in catalogs or seed packets) will not grow “true to type” to the original parent, and the next generation of plants will be highly unpredictable in overall type, quality and flavor.
- We do not accept chemically treated seeds.
Labeling Donations:
Please provide the following information for seed donations:
- Seed name/variety
- Seed company/information on where the seed came from. If your seed has a special story or history, be sure to include that too!
- Year the seed was saved or the packing date (usually on the seed packet)
Special Thanks to the following seed companies for their donations:
- Mary’s Heirloom Seeds
- Fedco Seeds
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
- Snake River Seed Cooperative
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Good Seed Co
- Hudson Valley Seed Company
- Burpee
- Territorial Seeds
