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Seed Lending Library

Seed Lending Library

The logo of FPL seed library Seed Libraries are a joint project of the Framingham Public Library and Transition Framingham. Our mission is to empower local residents to preserve the art of growing our own food through the lending, sharing, and saving of seeds, and related programming at the library. We have three Seed Libraries: one at the Main Library, one at the McAuliffe Branch and one at our Bookmobile.

Check out our inventory!

News and Upcoming Events

May 2021

For successful vegetable gardening we need to attract all kinds of pollinators like different bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. An easy way to do this is to provide food for them by planting a variety of native wildflowers close to our vegetable plants. Our new Flower Bee Feed Mix contains annual and perennial wildflower seeds. The beautiful mix of flowers can be pollinator forage all summer and fall. The amount that we provide is enough for a container (appr. 12 inch diameter) full of flowers. Please email framinghamlibraryseeds@gmail.com for more information.

April 2021

It’s time for getting some seeds outside.

You can start with our Bloomsdale Spinach, Amish Snap Peas, Scarlet Nantes Carrots and herbs like chives, parsley and dill.

These vegetables and herbs can handle cold temperatures.

Request seeds and ask us all seed related questions at: framinghamlibraryseeds@gmail.com.

March 2021

Check out seeds from our latest catalog:

Framingham Seed Library Catalog, August 2020/2021

September 2020

We are very happy to announce our newest addition to the Seed Lending Library. We recently installed a raised bed planter on the walkway in front of the McAuliffe Branch Library.

This 16 square foot growing space will allow us to showcase some of the varieties we offer in the seed lending library, including several herbs that we will encourage patrons to pick as needed when they leave the library. The planter has been filled with soil and compost and will be planted with fall crops very soon.

Special thanks to those who made this opportunity possible:

* The Seed Lending Library, a joint project of the Framingham Public Library and Transition Framingham, for continuing to expand their educational mission in our community

* The Framingham Community Gardens Working Group, a project of Transition Framingham, for helping to develop this idea

* Patrons Tony & Jemie Miceli for their generous donation that made this all possible

* Transition Framingham members Mike Croci and Brigitte Griffin for building and filling the bed

Sincerely,

The Seed Lending Library Team
Framingham Public Library
Transition Framingham

Also:

Did you know that we have gardening tools available to borrow as part of our Library of Things? Anyone with a Minuteman card can borrow the kit from the main library for two weeks. It includes a transplant trowel, weeder, hand rake, cultivator/hoe, soil scoop, gloves, and a handy carrying bag. Ask Library staff for more information.
Take a look at our list of new books on canning and preserving in our catalog.

Samela Aguirre and Patrick St. Pierre of Transition Framingham explain the Seed Libraries in this brief video.

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Seed Library Resources

Phenology Chart

Mulching Chart

Companion Planting

Seed Saving Tips

Seed Library 2021 Catalog

Framingham Seed Catalog 2020/2021

Cookbooks at the Library

Click here for a list of gardening cookbooks at the Framingham Public Library.

Gardening Books at the Library

Click here for a list of gardening books at the Framingham Public Library.

Guidelines for Donations to the Seed Library

If you would like to donate seeds to the seed library there are seed bags and blank inserts located on the seed catalog at the main library and at the McAuliffe Library. Or you can give your seeds to library staff and we will repackage them. Thank you so much!

Save from healthy plants. Helps produce disease resistant plants.
Save from a number of plants. Gives the crop genetic diversity. The number depends on the type of plant. Self-pollinating plants like tomatoes requires a minimum of six plants. Cross-pollinating plants like corn require a much larger population.
Open-pollinated. Please harvest seeds from an open-pollinated variety.
Isolate cross pollinators. Isolation means preventing pollen from plants within the same species from co-mingling. This keeps the seed “true-to-type” so that it will grow the exact same plant again. Isolate varieties by planting them far enough away from each other. Check here for an explanation and a guide from Seed Savers Exchange.
Dry. Make sure seeds are dry before putting in bags.
Clean. Have seeds cleaned by removing as much of chaff as possible.
Label. Please fill in as much information as you can about the seed. Crop, variety, age, planting information.

Thanks again!

*Information for this guide was gathered from West County Community Seed Exchange in California and Round Valley Public Library in California.