February is Seed Fever month, when gardeners’ fingers start itching to touch soil and seeds. Garden plans swirl in our heads. We try to remember lessons learned from past gardens, and new ideas we want to try. We start to get serious about the design of this year’s garden, –what we’ll grow and where. Now is the time to organize the seeds we’ll need. Many seeds will go in the ground in April, but some we’ll want to start inside in March.
The Seed Library at Charlotte Public Library can help. Our mission is to encourage local gardeners to grow some of their own food, in eco-friendly ways which build healthy soil and support biodiversity, and with at least some “tried and true” heirloom varieties from which they can save seeds for themselves and to share with others. We make available small packets (of 6-8 seeds) of selected heirloom vegetable, herb and pollinator-friendly or edible flower seeds each spring, and offer a variety of educational programs and activities throughout the year. Our website includes reliable references on topics such as eco-friendly permaculture and garden design, composting and vermiculture, how to save seeds, managing for pests and disease, and more. Follow our blog to stay informed about current and upcoming programs.
If you need to buy seeds for this year, we urge you to do so asap. The demand is higher than ever and supplies can run out quickly. We’ve placed free catalogs from some of our favorite organic/heirloom seed sources in the Library’s foyer (open during book pick-up hours). Help yourself. If nothing else, they will inspire you with the possibilities!
Heirloom variety seeds offered this year by the Seed Library are listed in our 2021 Seed Catalog, along with tips on saving seeds from them. The 2021 Catalog is available right here, and paper copies are in the Library foyer. Request seeds from the Catalog by emailing us at Seed@charlottepubliclibrary.org and we will arrange contact-less pick-up in the Library foyer.
Click right here or on the image at right to view this year’s Seed Library Catalog!
Also in the Library foyer (open during book pick-up hours) are some older “free-to-a-good-home” vegetable and other seeds which were donations or extras from past programs. Help yourself! Remember that germination is not guaranteed with older seeds, so best to avoid disappointment by doing a simple germination test before planting.
Indulge in a little Seed Fever, and the happy garden planning it brings on!
Linda Hamilton and Karen Tuininga, Seed Library Coordinators
Charlotte Seed Library 