A Seed Library is a collection of seeds that have been harvested from local gardens and donated to us for everyone to use. Our starter collection has been kindly been donated to us by the Northern Seed Library, and they are free for the public to take and plant in their own gardens.

The goal of a seed library is to preserve the biodiversity of a local area’s plant life, and to provide access for everyone to grow their own vegetable and flower gardens. Part of this goal is to encourage seed returns at the end of the growing season.

If you would like to know more about the process of seed saving, please see the resources links below.

Visit the library in person to browse our collection of seeds. Select the seeds you would like to borrow. Come see us at the front desk to confirm your selection.

Once you have “checked out” your seeds you can take them home, plant, and enjoy. If you let just one plant go to seed, you will be able to harvest it in the fall and bring back – or – “check in” your new seeds.

We ask that each household borrow a maximum of three packets, so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to borrow

You are not obligated to harvest seeds to return to the library. However, if you are unfamiliar with the process and would like to know more, consider taking our Seed Saving 101 Workshop! We also have curated some resources to help with learning the process. Scroll down for more information.

Donation Form

Remember to have the name of the plant your seeds are coming from. If you do not know, take a photo of your plant, especially while in bloom, and bring your photo in to show our resident gardening experts. When bringing in seeds please ensure they are dry for storage. At this time, we do not have the resources to store wet or already sprouted seeds.

MCL Seed Library Donation Form

We will happily accept any leftover commercial seeds you would like to share. Commercial seed packets should not be expired.