Start your garden with the Seed Library1 min read

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Warmer temperatures and days filled with sunlight means spring is in the air.

Many green thumbs are already planning how to adorn their gardens with crop and colour.

Get your garden started this season with the Seed Library.

The Seed Library is a free service at every Region of Waterloo Library branch where you can take seeds and plant them at your home. At the end of the growing season, collect seeds from a few plants and return them to the library. 

The program provides residents with an affordable and fun way to start their gardens, promotes environment and climate action, and supports food security. Libraries also offer canning kits so people can learn how to preserve what they grow.

The library’s seed selection includes heirloom vegetables, herbs and flowers.

What to grow

Getting into gardening for the first time? Consider plants that are easy to grow and produce seeds even if you only grow one plant such as beans, peas, cucumber, tomatoes and flowers such as calendula and bachelor’s button.

If you’ve rolled up your sleeves for gardening before, you may want to try intermediate seeds that are a little more challenging and likely to cross-pollinate, such as basil, eggplant and peppers.

For the experienced green thumb, mix it up with flowers that are harder to start, including milkweed, lupine and morning glories.

You don’t need a library card to access the Seed Library, but there’s good reason to get one to access books, gaming consoles, coding classes and other services.

Click here for more information about the program, as well as tips and tricks to grow a healthy garden and harvest. You can also borrow books at the library to help you get started. Happy planting!