Our Seed Library
Our 2024 Seed Library is located at both branches of the Fredericton Public Library – North Side Nashwaaksis and South Side Downtown!
2024 FPL Seed Library Catalogue
Are you looking for seeds to finish planting your garden? Come see if the new FPL Seed Library has what you need! Like the regular library, members can “check out” seeds with the hopes that new seeds will saved and returned after the growing season.
Why do we have a Seed Library?
The Seed Library is a project started by NB Community Harvest Gardens (NBCHG) in 2013. In an effort to promote food security, NBCHG encouraged the exchange of locally adapted seeds which thrive in the local growing conditions. Originally limited to members of NBCHG, the goal of the new FPL Seed Library is to have seeds readily available to the community at large.
We want heirloom, open-pollinated, non-genetically modified seeds available to the community to help preserve these for our future. Saving seeds that grow well in our part of Canada will ensure we will have a supply in the event of crop failure in some other areas.
We want all community members to have the means to grow their own healthy vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Some seeds are too difficult to save in our climate, we will purchase these for now, and eventually trial growing some for ourselves.
What Seed Varieties are Available?
Check out the 2024 FPL Seed Library Seed Catalogue (including growing instructions & planting chart) for seed varieties currently available. We’re offering 48 different varieties of seeds to choose from this year!
Can’t find what you are looking for? NB Community Harvest Gardens has a larger variety of seeds in limited quantities that may interest you – please contact our Garden Director Carol Muncer at carol@nbchg.org for more information.
How do I join?
Membership is easy! All you need is your library card and a willingness to:
• try to grow your own food using organic practices (no chemical/synthetic pesticides or fertilizers)
• try to save some seeds
• complete a short survey at season’s end
Just visit the Reference Desk at either branch to complete your application form, choose your seeds and sign them out (limit 1 package of each variety to a maximum of 6 packages per visit).
Members are asked to return more seeds than they borrowed, and keep some for themselves for the following year. By doing this our library will be sustainable and grow. Please make sure you read the Seed Saving Tips section below so you can be successful in saving your own seed.
We acknowledge that due to circumstances beyond your control, you may not have seeds to return – please don’t hesitate to borrow again.
Seed Saving Tips
We recommend that you attend a Seed Saving workshop. For more information about upcoming Fredericton Public Library workshops or to be added to the FPL’s programming email list, please contact the Young Adult and Adult Services Dept: 460-2829 ftonpub@gnb.ca
We also have some documents you can download with tips about how to save some of the most commonly grown vegetable varieties.
Seed Saving Guide & Tips
Some seeds are easy to save, but others take a bit more skill. The documents don’t cover every vegetable; we’re hoping to add more soon. If there are any types of seeds not listed here that you’d like help about in the future, just contact us so we can add them to the documents when they are revised. Thanks and happy seed saving!
WE’RE IN THE NEWS!
Daily Gleaner Article – June 28, 2015
