Note: The Seed Library’s inventory is currently very limited.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
Borrow up to four seed packets from the library.
Plant at least 2-3 seeds for every plant that you would like to grow this season.
Contribute and swap seeds at our annual Seed Exchange in March.
Seeds are located in the Halperin Building Large Print section.
The purpose of our Seed Library, rooted in the spirit of sustainability, generosity, and community, is to encourage everyone in town to cultivate their own garden and experience the rich rewards of seed saving, an ancient practice that has nourished civilizations for over 12,000 years.
This initiative allows you to borrow up to four packets of organic, non-GMO seeds per visit at no charge, and we offer a wealth of resources including beginner gardening programs and seed-saving books to help you nurture your green thumb and learn the rewarding art of gardening and seed saving. We also host an annual Seed Exchange in March, a wonderful opportunity to swap seeds and stories with fellow gardening enthusiasts.
As you reap the fruits of your labor, we hope you'll save and return some seeds to facilitate the cycle of sharing, thus helping to cultivate a rich, biodiverse, and self-sustaining community. Happy gardening!
| Herbs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Name | Typical Name | Viability in years | Light exposure (sunlight) | Spacing (Inches) | Pollination method (self, wind, insect) | |
| Ocimum basilicum | Nufar basil | 5 years | 6 – 8 hours/day | Seed should be planted at least 6 inches in each row, rows should be 24 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self pollinate | |
| Coriandrum sativum | Cilantro or coriander | 5 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day), too much heat is not good requires afternoon shade. | Seeds should be planted 8 to 10 inches in each row, rows should be 15 inches apart | Insect, self pollinate | |
| Thymus vulgaris | Common thyme | 2 – 5 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) | Seeds should be planted 12 – 14 inches in each row, rows should be about 18 – 24 inches apart | Insect | |
| Anethum graveolens | Dill | 5 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day), should be in a spot that is out of the wind | Seeds should be planted two feet apart, when the seedlings start growing space them out 10 to 12 inches apart | Insect, self pollinate | |
| Lavandula angustifolia | English Lavender | 3 – 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) | Seeds should be planted 12 to 36 inches apart | Insect | |
| Nicotiana alata | Lavender (Cloud Nicotiana) | 3 – 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) | Seeds should be planted 9 12 inches apart, seedling should eventually be spaced out to 18 – 24 inches apart | Insect | |
| Lavandula | Lavender | 3 – 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) | Seeds should be planted 12 to 36 inches apart | Insect | |
| Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum | Giant Italian parsley | 1 – 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (shade) | Seeds should be planted 12 to 36 inches apart | Insect | |
| Petroselinum crispum | Parsley | 1 - 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (shade) | Seeds should be planted 6 to 8 inches apart | Insect | |
| Salvia rosmarinus | Rosemary | 1 – 4 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self pollinate | |
| Salvia officinalis | Sage | 1 – 3 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seeds should be planted 18 to 24 inches apart | Insects | |
| Perilla frutescens var. crispa | Shiso Perilla | 1 – 3 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seeds should be planted 10 to 12 inches apart | Insect, self pollinate | |
| Flowers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | Latin Name | Typical Name | Viability in years | Light Exposure | Spacing (Inches) | Pollination method (self, wind, insect) | |
| Tagetes | Tagetes | Marigold | 2 – 3 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seed should be planted 8 to 12 inches apart | Insect | |
| Asclepias syriaca L. | Asclepias syriaca L. | Milkweed | 1 year | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seeds should be planted about 18 inches apart | Insect | |
| Helianthus annuus | Helianthus annuus | Sunflower | 1 year | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) | Seeds should be planted about 6 inches apart | Insect | |
| Nicotiana x sandarae | Nicotiana x sandarae | Purple perfume nicotiana | 4 – 5 years | Full sun (6 – 8 hours/day) and can be placed in part sun environments (not direct sun) | Seeds should be planted about 12 inches apart | Insect, self-pollinating | |
| Vegetables | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable | Latin Name | Typical Name | Viability in years | Isolation | Pollination method (self, wind, insect) | ||
| Beets | Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva | Beets | 2 - 4 years | Seeds should be planted 2 to 4 inches apart, but they need to be thinned when they reach 2 to 3 inches tall | Insect, wind | ||
| Detroit Red Beets | Beta vulgaris | Detroit Red Beets | 2 - 4 years | Seeds should be planted 2 to 4 inches apart, but they need to be thinned when they reach 2 to 3 inches tall | Insect, wind | ||
| Broccoli Rabe | Brassica ruvo | Broccoli Rabe | 3 - 5 years | Seeds should be planted 12 – 18 inches apart, rows should be 24 to 36 inches apart | Insect | ||
| Butternut squash | Cucurbita moschata | Butternut squash | 2 - 5 years | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart, seedlings should be 8 to 12 inches apart, hills with 3 to 4 seeds can also be created – there needs to be adequate space between each | Insect | ||
| Winter squash | Cucurbita pepo | Winter squash | 2 - 5 years | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart, seedlings should be 8 to 12 inches apart, hills with 3 to 4 seeds can also be created – there needs to be adequate space between each | Insect | ||
| Honey Nut squash | Cucurbita moschata x Cucurbita maxima | Honey Nut squash | 2 - 5 years | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart, seedlings should be 8 to 12 inches apart, hills with 3 to 4 seeds can also be created – there needs to be adequate space between each | Insect | ||
| Carrot | Daucus carota subs. Sativus | Carrot | 3 – 4 years | Seeds should be 2 to 3 inches apart with rows that are 12 – 18 inches apart | Insects | ||
| Courgetti green bush | Cucurbita pepo | Courgetti green bush | 2 – 4 years | Seeds should be planted about 36 inches + apart | Insect, self-pollination | ||
| Cucumber | Cucumis sativus | Cucumber | 5 – 10 years | Seeds should be planted about 8 to 10 inches apart, and the row should be 5 feet apart. | Insect | ||
| Giant Crimson Radish | Raphanus sativus | Giant Crimson Radish | 5 years | Seeds should be planted 1 inch apart (salad), winter and oriental radish to need to be 5 inches apart | Insect | ||
| Radish | Raphanus sativus | Radish | 5 years | Seeds should be planted 1 inch apart (salad), winter and oriental radish to need to be 5 inches apart | Insect | ||
| Iko Iko Sweet pepper | Capsicum annuum | Iko Iko Sweet pepper | 2 - 5 years | Seeds should be planted 18 inches apart, the rows should be 30 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self-pollinating | ||
| Paris Pepper | Capsicum annuum | Paris Pepper | 2 – 5 years | Seeds should be planted 18 inches apart, the rows should be 30 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self-pollinating | ||
| Kale | Brassica oleracea var. sabellica | Kale | 4 – 5 years | Seedlings should be spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart (the same might apply for the seeds) | Insect | ||
| Midori Soybean | Glycine max | Midori Soybean | 3 – 4 years | Row spacing should be between 7.5 inches and 15 inches | Insect | ||
| Mountain Merit F1 tomato | Solanum lycoperscium | Mountain Merit F1 tomato | 4 – 8 years | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self, wind (mainly self) | ||
| Wild cherry tomato | Solanum lycoperscium | Wild cherry tomato | 4 – 8 years | Seeds should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart | Insect, self, wind (mainly self) | ||
| Organic Mustard | Sinapis | Organic Mustard | 4 years | Seeds should be planted 36 inches apart with rows which are 12 inches apart | Insect | ||