West Cary Free Little Seed Library

Now that we’re in late April, we’ve put out eggplant and pumpkin seeds and put away the early spring seeds (beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peas). We also still have flower and summer veggie seeds for sharing. Hope to see you soon! :)

Happy March, friends! Late March is the time for planting corn, southern/field/cow peas, dill, and sunflowers. We have all of them here at the Library!

It’s seed-starting time! Here at the Library, we started our coneflower (Green Twister variety) today, and we’ll be starting tomatoes and basil in the coming weeks!

We just put out tomato, tomatillo/ground cherry, pepper, and basil seeds in the Library. You’ll also find a ton of flower seeds (many courtesy of Nasima Hossain) and seeds for cool weather crops (see pinned post for that list).

What will YOU be starting in the coming weeks?

We’re harvesting home-grown seeds here at the Library! We separated our green bean, marigold, and passionflower seeds but ran out of steam for the rudbeckia. So, we’re putting the seed heads out for our visitors! Learn how to separate the heads/chaff from the seeds here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dAiS2y_FODs

We missed harvesting our last crop of French green beans this fall, so we let them dry on the vine, and today we have BEAN SEEDS!! 🫘

If you’re anything like us, you have too. much. stuff. And the winter holidays arrive and we get. more. stuff.

This year, consider giving seeds! They’re inexpensive (free here at the Library!), they’re only “stuff” until you plant them, and they’ll bring flavor, nutrition, and beauty to the recipient throughout the new year.

There are all sorts of ideas out there for how to “glow up” your seed gifts…from cute holiday envelopes, to seed bombs and plantable seed paper. Inspiration and DIY instructions are readily available online.

(If you’re looking for specific seeds, please PM us and we’ll set them out for you if we have them.)

Happy holidays to all our friends and followers who celebrate! We hope that your 2024 is abundant in all of the ways that matter most. ❤️

We’re sending a big THANK YOU to Nasima Hossain for her generous seed donation! ❤️

When we were getting started last year, Nasima donated a big box of homegrown seeds that were a hit with our visitors in 2023.

Today Nasima donated all of these homegrown seeds!

The first photo is flower seeds…there are SO MANY goodies for the flower-lovers in the crowd…marigolds, sunflowers, passionflower, and much more!

For the veggie-lovers out there, Nasima sent along a ton…many interesting squash, gourd, and bean varities, plus some other surprises.

I’ll be setting these seeds out as they come into season and we have space. If you’re looking for something specific, you’re welcome to PM and we can make sure it’s outside for you.

Thanks again, Nasima! 🌼

Heads-up, Cary-ans! We’re now Zone 8a!

Welp, I’ve been saying this for a while that we’re probably more like zone 8a… well now it’s officially true.

2024 seed catalogs have started to arrive! As you’re planning for the coming year, please consider donating any old seeds you’re not planning to use. 🌱❤️

We had a different kind of harvest today here at the Free Little Seed Library…Mason bee cocoons! These native, solitary, cavity-dwelling bees are docile and excellent pollinators. They’ll be hibernating in our refrigerator for the winter, and then we’ll put the cocoons outside when the dandelions bloom in March. 🐝

The 2023 seed-sowing year is drawing to a close. 💚

We plan to leave the library stocked with fall and early spring seeds through the winter….things like arugula, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, green onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips.

Have any leftover seeds that you don’t plan to use next year? Consider dropping them off at the Library, so our visitors can try them next year!

Planning your 2024 garden? If you’re looking for warm-season seeds, you’re welcome to message us. We can let you know what’s available and put them out for pick-up.

The year is winding down for planting seeds, but you can still plant spinach in our area through mid-October! We currently have five varieties here at the library: tendergreen, bloomsdale, lavewa, matador, and baby greens.

It’s so fun to watch the carpenter bees buzzing around our passionflower, and our monarchs love to make their cocoons within the vines. Seeds now available at the Library!

Check it out! The Sept/Oct issue of Triangle Gardener magazine has an article on the North Raleigh Seed Library (and we’re listed at the end)!

Can you believe it’s September?! What seeds can you plant this month? Arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, dill, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, green onions, bok choy, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, and turnips. We have many of these seeds at the Library…come visit!

Milkweed seeds are now out in the library! 🦋🦋

I harvested swamp milkweed seeds from our butterfly garden today! They’ll be available in the Library when they dry in a couple of weeks.

It's August, folks! What seeds can you plant now for your fall garden? Arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, swiss chard, collards, dill, eggplant, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, okra, bok choy, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, squash, and turnips!https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NC-Vegetable-Planting-Guide.pdf

I harvested swamp milkweed seeds from our butterfly garden today! They’ll be available in the Library when they dry in a couple of weeks.

Some of our monarchs hatched this week!

Have you ever saved pepper seeds? It’s pretty straightforward, just make sure your peppers are ripe (i.e., probably NOT green)…

How To Save Pepper Seeds - Keeping Seeds For Next Year - PepperGeek Learn how to save pepper seeds for growing next season. Keeping seeds is easy! Use our tips & tricks to make sure you're successful with PepperGeek.

SHARE YOUR FLOPS! Did some of your seeds turn into plants that you never want to grow again? Consider passing along any remaining seeds through the Library…maybe someone else will love the results!

As a second-year veggie gardener, I’m still learning what does and doesn’t do well in my garden. This year’s flops include Japanese Black Trifele tomatoes (mine weren’t that flavorful), pineapple ground cherries (my family wasn’t crazy about them), Brad’s Atomic Grape tomatoes (again, family weren’t fans), and cucumbers (after two years of them not doing well outside, I’m giving up and going to try indoor miniature hydroponic cukes instead). I’ve put these seeds in the Library if you’re interested in trying them out in your garden!

Friends! Now that many plants are fruiting or going to seed, it’s time to consider seed saving for future planting or sharing. Why save seeds?

1) They’re free!
2) They reduce your carbon footprint by not shipping new seeds from other locations.
3) The resulting plants will be better adapted to local conditions.
4) It promotes genetic diversity, which helps conserve species for future generations to enjoy.

Check out this Seed Saver’s Exchange page for general seed saving guidance. And watch our Free Little Seed Library page for tips on saving seeds from specific varieties of plants!

Saving Seeds: Where to Start Ready save seeds from your garden, but aren't sure where to begin? Here are seven tips that will help you get started.

This years’s Monarch butterflies have arrived at the Free Little Seed Library! Stop by and visit! The striped caterpillars are in the butterfly garden, to the right of the house, on the tall swamp milkweed plants. 👑 🦋

We got this donation of cute wildflower seed packets! Get ‘em while supplies last!

June is pumpkin season…pumpkin PLANTING season, that is! Sow pumpkin seeds in your garden now, and they’ll be ready in 3-4 months. We currently have at least three varieties of pumpkin seeds here at the Library!

Want to welcome more pollinators to your garden? Check out this free workshop!

DIY Pollinator Hotel Workshop | Frontier RTP Did you know Frontier RTP has a partnership with Bee Downtown? You have probably driven past our hives many times without realizing all of the greatness inside. In the past, some of that greatness has…

We have a *ton* of seeds in the Library right now, so I’ve rotated the cool-weather crops OUT.

Warm-weather seeds currently IN the library: basil, beans, chives, collards, corn, cucumber, gourd, kale, leek, melon, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnip, pepper, pumpkin, radish, spinach, squash, sunflower, tomato, turnip, tomatillo

Cool-weather seeds currently OUT* of rotation: arugula, beet, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, dill, fennel, lettuce, green onion, green peas

*If you’re someone who grows winter crops year-round (yay indoor hydroponics!), message us with what you’re looking for, and we can leave it out for you.

The Library currently has TWENTY-TWO varieties of SQUASH seeds, including these beauties! In our area, squash seeds can be planted until mid-August. What’s your favorite dish to make with squash?