The Library is excited to partner with Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford in starting a Community Seed Library!
A seed library is a place where local seeds are saved for gardeners to use in the spring. Then during harvest time those gardeners save some of their seeds for the library to use the following year. Seed libraries help promote and protect genetic diversity, local climate-adapted seed stock, self-sufficiency and community resilience through better food security.
If you gardened this summer, as so many of us did, please consider saving some of the seeds from your harvest and donating them to this new project.
How to donate
We are particularly interested in seeds of vegetables and herbs to support local healthy food supplies, but flower seeds are also welcome. Diversity of plants is key to a healthy garden.
Donations can be dropped off at the library anytime beginning in the fall. Please make sure that your seeds are clearly marked with the
- Year collected
- Type of plant and variety of plant (e.g., red cherry tomato; autumn beauty sunflower)
- Any extra information that may be helpful (how deep to plant seeds, when to start them, amount of sun, soil, etc.)
Donated seeds will be collected, organized, and can be picked up in the Library in time for planting in the spring of 2021.
Contact the Library for more information.
How to Save Seeds
From Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford’s website:
The best process of collecting seeds varies widely depending on the type of plant. Seeds that grow in pods are not ready until the pod is brown, dry, and beginning to split open, while tomato seeds are best harvested by leaving them in a watery mush to ferment a little. The links below provide lots of detailed information to make sure that you provide seeds with the best potential to germinate.
Merrickville Public Library 
