Geneva Seed Library
Welcome!
The Geneva Seed Library is a project that provides free seeds and gardening knowledge for the Geneva community. The purpose of our Seed Library, rooted in the spirit of sustainability, generosity, and community, is to encourage everyone to cultivate their own garden and experience the rich rewards of seed saving. We offer a wealth of resources including beginner gardening 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 late winter, a wonderful opportunity to swap seeds and stories with fellow gardening enthusiasts. Where?
The Geneva Seed Library is located on the first floor of the library next to the DVDs. What is a Seed Library?
A seed library is a free community resource for people to borrow packets of seeds for home gardening. Libraries house collections of many things—books, films, toys, technology. A collection of seeds is one of the most important collections to maintain, and it is one to which you can contribute. How it Works
We will have seeds that have been donated by organizations and individuals throughout our Finger Lakes community. 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! Saving seeds is not necessary. We accept ALL packaged seeds: Organic, non GMO, open pollinated, non-hybrid (usually labeled as ‘hybrid’ ‘VF’ OR f1’) |
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Seed Basics
Seeds should be kept in the dark and cool as much as possible! This keeps them viable for as long as possible. Annuals are plants that live for one year or less; in that time, they grow, flower, produce seed, and die. Biennials are plants that grow leaves the first year of life, and in the second year, they produce flowers, set seed, and die. Perennials are plants that live for more than two years and produce flowers and fruit every growing season. Hardening off is to gradually introduce seedlings and plants that have been indoors to the bright light, stronger winds, and variable temperatures found outside. 10 Benefits of Seed Saving
Why to Save and Return
While we don’t require that you bring seeds back each year, by saving your seeds you’re helping other members of the community to grow their own gardens. Seed Saving is a time honored technique that has helped people nurture the perfect crops for thousands of years. If you can’t save and return seeds, you can always help us grow the library by donating a few packets of fresh, open pollinated, non-hybrid (usually labeled as ‘hybrid’ ‘VF’ or ‘F1’) non-GMO seeds. We are able to keep the seed library open thanks mainly to donations from the community and would like to continue to be self-sustaining. Check out free seeds! Grow plants year round! All seeds are free. Take what you need and save what you can. |