CHINA: Does your town have a seed library

by Jude Hsiang

Does your town have a Seed Library? Seed Libraries are found all over the world, enabling gardeners to save money and try new types of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Alex Burbank is the new librarian at the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, 35 Main Street, China Village. Although only open a few hours a week – Tues. and Thurs., 2 – 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., – there is a lot going on. Recently, Alex and Assistant Librarian Miranda Perkins discovered forgotten materials for a Seed Library. They set up a nice new display and invited folks to bring extra garden seeds to share and swap.

The University of Maine Extension office in Augusta had gotten a large donation of seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds, in New Gloucester, for distribution. Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Marie Michaud, of China, received seeds from the Extension for the new China Community Garden, some of which were for plants like squashes, which would be too large for the 4-foot x 8-foot raised garden beds. Those seeds and others were brought to the library. Other people are donating seeds as well. Alex contacted Fedco Seeds, in Clinton, and received another generous donation.

Fedco and Pinetree specialize in providing seeds for plants known to thrive in our Maine climate. You will find a nice selection of typical seeds and some new and unusual varieties to try. There is also information about how long seeds will remain viable when kept in a cool, dark place. Many seeds will last for at least five years.

The library’s display includes information about seed saving and sharing, even small envelopes for those who need only a small portion of a standard seed packet. One of my favorite gardening stories is that of two friends, city folks who moved to suburban houses with a vegetable garden. They loved cooking fresh vegetables, so they bought lots of seeds including zucchini. They planted the entire packet!

Libraries like this one in China Village are the perfect location for a seed library as anyone can use this free service and find useful gardening information. When you visit this, or another local library, check out their other services and activities for all ages. The China Village library has rotating artist’s displays, digital resources, and activities for adults and children. My favorites are Interlibrary loan and the knitting group.

© Judith Chute Hsiang
Jude Hsiang is a retired Extension Master Gardener instructor and member of the China Community Garden Project.