Welcome to BDL's Seed Library
Updated September 14, 2023: The Seed Library is "closed" for inventory and restocking during the winter months. Seed donations are gratefully accepted during this time. If you have questions about donating seeds, please email Wendy Chapman at w.chapman@buchananlibrary.org. The Seed Library will reopen in March; scroll down for information on our opening event!
Did you know we have a Seed Library? More than 100 varieties of flower, garden vegetable, herb, and native plant seeds are available for you to take home and plant in your garden. At the end of the season, harvest some seeds and bring them back to the library to help sustain our collection year after year!
Using the Seed Library is easy! Sign up at the Front Desk. A library card is not required to use the Seed Library. Please mark down the seeds you take (no more than 5 packets per visit) in the binder on top of the Seed Library cabinet to help us track the usage of this collection and keep it stocked.
SEED LIBRARY OPENING
Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 1:00pm
The Seed Library is opening and that means we’re bringing in the experts to help you plan your garden! Join us at the library as Jerome Vite of Vite Greenhouses presents us with all of the tips and tricks you need to have a successful gardening season this year! Vite Greenhouses is one of the largest Independent Garden Centers serving all of southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana. As a "grower/retailer", they grow nearly all the plants they sell. Vite Greenhouses is owned by brothers Jerome, Don, and Greg Vite. The company has a rich and interesting history that began with their father and mother, Bill and Madeline.
No registration is required and light refreshments will be served.
Click on the categories below for information about the plants available in our Seed Library!
Seed Saving Resources
Check out the following webpages to learn more about saving seeds:
Saving Seeds: Where to Start Whether you’re new to seed saving or want to brush up on the practice, these seed saving basics are a smart place to start.
How to Save Seeds Follow these three simple steps for learning how to save your own seeds.
Home Germination Test At one point or another, every gardener has stumbled upon a forgotten packet of seed on a high shelf or in the back of a dark cupboard. The seed may bring a season of bounty or disappointment. Before wasting hours of labor and precious garden space on seed that won’t return the flavor, you may want to test the germination rate.
Seed Saving Guide This handy guide will help you get started planning your garden for seed saving.