Seed library
Borrow a packet. Bring some back.
A chest of drawers in the shed, full of seed saved by people who garden here. It works on trust and a pencil on a string.
The loop
How it works
Four steps, then round again next season.
Borrow
Take a packet or two from the drawers. Write it in the book.
Grow
Plant it at home or in your bed at the commons.
Save
Let a few of the best plants go to seed, then dry and collect it.
Return
Bring some back, labelled, for the next person.
Sowing guide
What to sow this month
Pick a month to see what could go in. Every row also lists its months as text.
October: Tomatoes, Basil, Climbing beans, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Sunflowers, Lettuce, Carrots, Beetroot, Silverbeet, Coriander, Calendula
| Crop | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TomatoesStart in trays, plant out once nights warm up. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| BasilLoves heat. Pinch the tips to keep it bushy. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| Climbing beansSow straight into the bed beside a frame. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | ||||||||
| ZucchiniOne or two plants feed a household. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| PumpkinGive it room to wander along the fence. | Sow | Sow | ||||||||||
| SunflowersBees visit them, and kids like measuring them. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| LettuceSow a short row every few weeks. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||
| CarrotsFine seed: mix it with sand to spread it thinly. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||
| BeetrootEach seed is a cluster, so thin the seedlings. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | ||||||
| SilverbeetPick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | ||||||
| CorianderBolts in heat, so autumn and spring suit it best. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | ||||||||
| CalendulaEdible petals and plenty of seed to save. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | ||||||||
| KaleCold makes the leaves sweeter. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| GarlicPlant cloves pointy end up. Harvest in early summer. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| Broad beansA winter crop that adds nitrogen to the soil. | Sow | Sow | Sow | |||||||||
| PeasGive them something to climb. | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow | Sow |
Beginners
Easy seeds to save
Good ones to start with if you’ve never saved seed before.
Tomatoes
Scoop the seeds into a jar of water, leave them a few days, rinse and dry.
Climbing beans
Leave a few pods on the vine until they rattle, then shell them.
Lettuce
Let a plant bolt and flower. Shake the fluffy heads into a paper bag.
Calendula
Pick the curled seed heads once they are brown and crisp.
Coriander
The seeds are the spice. Save some to sow, cook with the rest.
Pumpkin
Scoop, rinse and dry the seeds from a pumpkin you liked eating.
Library rules
On the honour system
- Take what you’ll plant this season.
- Label what you return: plant, variety if you know it, and the year.
- Only return seed from healthy plants.
- If a packet didn’t work for you, tell us in the book. That’s useful too.
Swap seedlings in spring
The seedling swap and seed-saving workshops are on the calendar.