Capital region residents will soon be able to check out seeds for their gardens — just as they check out books — as the Greater Victoria Public Library launches the Victoria Seed Library, a partnership with LifeCycles.
Library patrons not only will receive seeds of locally adapted vegetables, such as beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes, as well as herbs and flowers, but also instructions on how to grow them.
“Although 95 per cent of the food we eat originates from seeds, growing food from seed is almost a lost art — but it shouldn’t be, as it is so simple,” said Matthew Kemshaw, an urban agriculture co-ordinator with LifeCycles, a local organization that promotes urban food security through education.
“The seed library is a neat way to show the community how easy it is to be food self-sufficient.”
People must become members of the Victoria Seed Library to participate. Membership is free and you need not be a member of the public library to join. Participants are required to attend an orientation session and sign a membership agreement. The orientation sessions will be offered monthly until October at various library branches.
The library will have a catalogue detailing the 50 seed varieties available, and members can sign out up to six varieties of seeds. The locally raised seeds are adapted to local soils and microclimates. At this time, the seed library will only be offered at the Central and Nellie McClung branches of the library.
The program works on a honour system. Novice or seasoned gardeners who “borrow” seeds are expected to return with seeds propagated from the mature plants in the fall.
Seed libraries have sprouted across North America, although not all are affiliated with a public library.
“It’s an idea whose time has come. We hope to encourage local food security and increase stewardship of our region’s biodiversity,” said Jennifer Rowan of the library.
She said the seed library complements existing seed-exchange events.
The information comes not only from the library’s extensive collection on horticulture but a series of lectures and workshops, such as How to Sow, How to Grow and How to Know.
The Victoria Seed Library will launch its new project with an event with free plants, gardening advice, button-making, face-painting and a live music performance by the Cowichan Valley’s Wild Sundays. The event is free. It will run 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday in the courtyard of the Central Branch, 735 Broughton St. For information, see gvpl.ca/seedlibrary or lifecyclesproject.ca.
