A friend recently made me aware of a local scheme in her area where she can go to her local library with excess plant and vegetable seeds and donate them to the seed library. Then while she is there, she can take a couple of packets of seeds that other people have left.

Upon further investigation of my own area, I found that there were many seed libraries in my local area as well. As an avid gardener, last year during Melbourne’s long lock down I found it very hard to get seedlings, plants or even seeds, so I was thrilled to find out that such a program is readily available in my area.

Seed libraries have been very popular in countries such as Canada and the idea has since spread to Australia with many local libraries and community groups running the libraries.

One of the aims of the seed libraries is to keep species such as heirloom varieties alive, as well as improve crop diversity. A strong crop is likely to develop good seeds which can be collected and shared among local gardeners, increasing the probability of gardening success.

It is a great way to get involved in gardening without much expense. All you need is a patch of dirt, some basic gardening skills and some seeds.

To find your local seed library, simply enquire at your local library, or conduct a google search with the key words: seed library near me