Seed Library
Borrow, grow and share each season thanks to an array of local varieties and heirloom seeds.
Welcome to the Seed Library located at Richland Library Main, Ballentine, Lower Richland and St. Andrews.
Type of Seeds:
Seeds in the collection include a variety of commercial and home-saved seeds and are organized by plant type (herb, flower, vegetable) and ease of seed saving (easy, medium, hard).
Curated seed packet bundles are available at Main and reservable through the Library of Things. Available bundles include flowers, herbs, and Vegetables by season (Spring, Summer, Fall).
How it Works:
- Select your seeds.
Pick the seed packets that you would like to grow. Please limit to 10 packets per check-out and 30 packets per season.
- Check-out your seeds.
Bring your selected packets to the service point to have them checked out via the Library of Things.
- Grow your plants.
- Harvest your seeds.
Gather any seeds you can identify from your garden. Please make sure to dry them and store them in a cool dark place until you return them to the library.
- Share some seeds.
If possible, please return some gathered seeds to the library (labeled for plant and date gathered). Place them in the returns drawer of the Seed Library. Blank packets are available to make returns if needed.
Remember: the Seed Library is only sustainable if participants bring some seeds back. If you are a beginner, we suggest only returning “easy” seeds to make sure that nothing is cross-pollinated or carries noxious weeds.
Seed Donations:
Donations are welcome. They can be commercial seeds (at least a half-packet) or self-harvested seeds. Place them in the returns drawer of the seed library and please make sure they are labeled for plant and date gathered. If it is a large amount of seeds/packets, contact Kelsey Andrus at kandrus@richlandlibrary.com.
Saving Seeds:
Most plant families set seeds differently, and the best way to get a true seed depends on the plant. Customers can research each plant to find out how to properly save seeds from that plant by using a subsection of our non-fiction Gardening collection that deals with propagation and seeds (look under GARDEN Seed). You can also visit seedsavers.org or contact the Master Gardeners of Clemson Extension.
Meet the Administrators:
Kelsey Andrus
Arts and Media Assistant Manager, Richland Library
kandrus@richlandlibrary.com
Kelsey is a spintress, gardener, lachanophile, cook, perpetual knitter, weaver, and terrible dancer. She originated in the snowy climes of Michigan, but has lived here for half her life. With a background in costume design, she has become a fiber artist who dabbles in anything to do with yarn, thread, or fabric. She is particularly passionate about historic trades as they pertain to cottage industry and domestic history. She dreams of one day owning ample land and having the time to raise her own food and enough sheep to keep her busy.
Keith Mearns
Director of Grounds, Historic Columbia
803.252.1770 x 27
kmearns@historiccolumbia.org
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