Seed Library
NOW AVAILABLE AT ALL SOUTHWEST GEORGIA REGIONAL LIBRARY LOCATIONS!Our Mission
Southwest Georgia Regional Library wants to provide a free collection of seeds to help introduce and nurture an interest in gardening to members of our community. We offer seeds and education to help new gardeners gain knowledge to help them be successful in growing wholesome and nutritious food.
The seed library operates on the honor system and we encourage all participants to learn basic seed-saving techniques so you can return seeds to the library. It is important to return seeds to help keep the library well stocked. If you are unable to save your own seeds, please donate a packet or two of new, commercially grown open-pollinated seeds.
How to Find Seeds in Our Seed Catalog
The seed catalog is organized alphabetically by the plants common name followed by variety type. For instance, under the common plant name Tomato there would be Beefsteak, Brandywine, and then Cherokee.
The seed catalog is based on donations, which means not all variety types are available.
How to Borrow Seeds
Come by the library to view the Seed Library binder. Write down the plant names and varieties that you would like to get. Take the list to the circulation desk and ask a staff member to retrieve the seeds for you.
Why Save Seeds?
Seed saving has been the way people are able to produce crops annually. However, many of the traditional seed-saving knowledge has been lost over the last hundred years. When you grow, save, and share your own seed, you promote seed sovereignty by:
- Encouraging genetic diversity among seed stock
- Developing seed stock that is more resilient and better adapted to our particular climate and soil
- Perpetuating the knowledge and culture of seed saving
- Preserving heirloom varieties
New to Seed Saving
When growing a plant to save its seed, you’re usually not going to be able to harvest the plant to eat. For instance, to harvest the seeds of lettuce you have to wait until the flower stalks come up with the seed pods, which is after the lettuce leaves become yellow and bitter. When planning your garden, make sure you mark one to two plants for seed saving. Luckily, one plant produces many seeds.
Don’t bother trying to save hybrid varieties.
How to Return Seeds
It is important that seeds coming back into the collection are grown and saved properly to ensure that the purity of each variety remains intact.
Plant and harvest. Let some plants go to seed. Save seeds for yourself and the library.
Seeds for the library should be donated in the seed envelopes available at the library. Write all the information for the seeds you want to donate on the envelopes.
Show Us
We are interested in seeing how your plants are growing. Take a photo and bring it by the library for us to feature in our Seed Library.
On social media post the photo and tag SouthwestGaLibrary on Facebook and SWGRLibrary on Instagram!
A special thank you to:
- Fedco Seeds and Sow Right Seeds for their donations to start our library.
- Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library and The Seed Library at Round Valley Public Library.