The Seed Library
A seed library is a community resource intended to help foster greater knowledge and understanding of plants and nature. Did you know there are over 3,000 varieties of open-polinated heirloom tomatoes in the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog? You will not find these in the local supermarket, but you can grow them in your backyard or on your deck.
Our collection of seed is intended to be taken home by interested patrons and grown. There is no obligation to return seeds to the library! Some varieties can be saved from successful plants and returned to the library at the end of the growing season. Most of the seeds that are available in the seed library are donated by other patrons, or by seed companies that graciously donate seeds to local community seed libraries, such as Seed Savers Exchange, High Mowing Organics, and Bakers Creek.
The seed library at Hillsdale Free Public Library is maintained by volunteers and staff with an interest in growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers. We also just love learning how nature works.
“No guarantees!”
Visit the library. You do not need to have a library card (though we hope you have one!).
Re-packaged seeds are clipped to the original seed packet for informational purposes. Packets are arranged alphabetically by common name (i.e. tomato). Vegetables, herbs, and flowers are grouped together.
Quantities are limited. Please take only the seeds that you intend to grow and only take one packet per variety. Remember to copy any additional information from the original seed packet.
Fill out the borrowers form and let us know how many packets you took and which varieties. Forms and pens are found next to the catalog. We will also let you know of future programs about seed starting / seed saving.
There will be a sample size sufficient to produce several plants. The quantity will vary as the seeds are divided by volunteers into smaller packets to permit several patrons to try a variety.
Drop off your donated seeds at the main desk.
Unopened commercial seed packets can simply be dropped off.
If you have saved seed from your own heirloom / open-pollinated plants, please complete the donation form. Indicate the common name, variety, location of harvest, the year they were grown, and whether they were grown near similar varieties or possibly cross-pollinated with neighboring varieties.
Do not donate saved seed from known hybrid (F1) varieties or seeds that are protected by patent (marked PVP plant variety protected).
We will accept all commercially packaged seeds.
We prefer seeds that are not hybrid (typically marked F1), or genetically modified (GMO), because the plants grown from these varieties will not produce the same variety with the same characteristics of the parent plant.
Seeds that are marked heirloom and open-pollinated are more likely to yield future seed with the same characteristics.
We would LOVE to collect and distribute seeds for plants that are native to New Jersey.
River Vale Library and Ridgewood Library. Other seed libraries can be located on a map maintained at http://seedlibraries.weebly.com/.
Plants that self-pollinate are the easiest to isolate and breed true. Peas, tomatoes, and beans are considered easy to save and are most likely to produce similar characteristics of the parent plant. The SeedSaversExchange.org website offers information and instructional videos for seed saving.
What Seeds are Available?
We are unable to provide a real-time inventory of available seeds. Below is a gallery of packets that were recently donated which were divided into smaller packs. It is not a complete representation of the current inventory.
Books in our collection
You will find most gardening books in non-fiction at 635 in either the adult or children’s collections. Books about seeds are classified at 361.521. Below are some featured titles which include some fictional books with a strong seed growing and preservation theme.
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