A seed library has bloomed at the North Battleford Public Library. (Facebook/North Battleford Public Library)

By Tyler Marr

GROOMING GREEN-THUMBS

Seed library aims to attract growers, preserve plant species

Apr 22, 2019 | 4:55 PM

As spring settles in, eager green-thumbs will be itching to get in the garden.

And should you identify as a would-be grower or an advanced horticulturist, a seed library that has sprouted at the North Battleford Public Library is offering an opportunity to lend seeds instead of books.

The project has a simple premise: Visitors can examine the cabinet and select seeds to borrow, grow the plant and return the resulting seeds at the end of the season.

Head Librarian Caroline Popadick said the project is a unique hands-on activity for planters of all ages.

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“It promotes sustainability in the community and it brings the community and like-minded people together to enjoy a hobby,” she said. “For first-timers, they can connect with those who are a little bit more experienced with gardening and they can learn.”

Alongside this, the seed library plays a role in protecting and growing local species. Popadick said the initiative is a free and simple way for people to become involved and interested in environmental science, and learn how to care and grow plants that can be sustained in Saskatchewan. All the seeds in the library can be comfortably grown in local conditions and provide plants that produce seeds easily harvested in the fall.

Herbs, fruit, vegetable and flower seeds are able to be shared and saved, but they must be true to type, non-GMO, hybrid or treated with products like preservatives, fungicides and pesticides.

“That is important as well so we carry on the natural seeds and not the GMO seeds that are out there or even weeds,” Popadick said.

The endeavour was a desire of the library for over a year, with comparisons made to other similar libraries and communities to gauge interest.

Though relatively new, Popadick said the library has been quite popular with the community, noting about 10 individual checkouts in three days.

“It sounds low, but if you compare it to a book, it would be like the same book going out 10 times in three days, which is unheard of,” she said. “I think it is sitting well with the community.”

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr