Pick up free seeds from the seed library at the MDL!
The MDL seed library is located in the vestibule of the library located at 912 City Road and is accessible whenever the library is open.
by Sara Swanson
After being packed away for the winter months, the seed library is once again set up for self-service in the vestibule of the Manchester District Library (MDL), available whenever the library is open: Monday through Thursday, 10am to 8pm; Friday, 10am to 6pm; and Saturday, 10am to 2pm. The MDL is located at 912 City Rd. Everyone is invited to stop by and pick up free seeds to plant!
The seed library has been freshly restocked with donated patron-saved seeds and purchased bulk vegetable seeds that have been divided into smaller portions. As in past years, Jennifer Fairfield, owner of the Garden Mill in Chelsea has purchased the bulk seeds for the library at cost. This year the MDL assisted in dividing and packaging the bulk seeds, including library board member Mary Herschelman!
Do you have extra seeds from previous years? Please consider donating any seeds you have purchased and haven’t used, leftover seeds you picked up from the seed library in past years, or extra seeds you’ve saved from plants you’ve grown, by placing them in the seed donation box next to the seed library (if it is a smaller amount) or bringing them to the front desk (if it is a larger amount or the box is full).
The longer seeds sit, the less likely they are to germinate. As a rule, the seed library only stocks seeds 5 years old or newer. The exception is if a germination test has been performed to make sure the seeds are still viable. Germination testing is easy! Place a few seeds between damp (not soaking wet) paper towels inside an unsealed plastic bag and put it somewhere dark for a week. If the seeds sprout, you know they are still viable. While the seed library welcomes donations of all seeds, if your seeds are more than five years old or undated, it will only circulate them if they have been germination tested.
Thank you to the Seed Library patrons who have donated seeds and thank you so much to Kathy Dimond and the Manchester District Library for making the seed library possible!
Since 2014 the Manchester District Library (MDL) has hosted the Manchester Seed Library, whose purpose is to provide a platform for members of the community to exchange saved seeds and excess commercial seeds with each other, and as a way to distribute free commercially purchased vegetable seeds to promote gardening and healthy eating in Manchester. Initially founded as a collaboration between the Manchester Community Garden Committee and Manchester District Library and funded by 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, MDL took over funding in 2022.
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