Seed Library

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
~Marcus Tullius Cicero (d. 43BC)

As part of the fulfillment of our LEED certification, we are excited to nurture a community of gardeners by providing a seed collection and exchange through the Library! The 2024 seed library will launch in March 2024.  We have a variety of seeds for herbs, flowers, and vegetables. The Seed Library is located in the Historic Reading Room in our antique card catalog. Each packet contains a few seeds and a link to growing instructions to start your own plants. Most seeds can be sown directly into your prepared soil.

NEW this year: Expanded selection of native plant seeds!

Check back often–we’ll be adding new seeds throughout the season!

For Seed Library questions, please contact Mary Murtland at murtlandm@graftonlibrary.org.

Our Goals

• Provide free seeds to the community from seed companies and from gardeners who’ve saved seeds from plants that thrive in our local area.
• Encourage the use of native, heirloom, open-pollinated, and organic seeds.
• Encourage gardeners to save seed and donate seed back to the Seed Library from successful varieties of plants they have grown.
• Educate our community on topics related to gardening, ecology, food and nutrition, health and wellness, and the environment.
• Promote the importance of organic gardening for our health and the health of our planet.
• Increase awareness of and mitigate food scarcity.

How the Seed Library Works

1. Choose a maximum of 2 free seed packets per visit
2. Follow the link on the back of the seed packet for growing instructions and plant the seeds in your garden.
3. Donate any leftover seeds back in the original packet.
4. Water, weed, and wait!
5. Harvest seeds from successful flowers and produce and thoroughly air dry them.
6. Label and return to the Seed Library so others can grow them next year (optional).

For gardening information, please visit the 635 section of the nonfiction collection or check out the Gale Database Collection on Gardening & Horticulture for articles and ebooks.

Donating Organizations

Thank you to the following organizations for their seed donations! Your generosity has been instrumental in establishing our program.

• Russell’s Garden Center, Wayland MA
• Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona MN