If you haven't checked out our seed library yet, now is a great time. You can learn more about it on our Seed Library page or call or visit one of our participating branch libraries. We also have several books you can check out or place a hold on below.
Beginning seed saving for the home gardener / Jim Ulager.
Many people garden because they enjoy the independence of producing their own food. Yet for many, the how and why of producing seeds remains mysterious and even intimidating. This book explores how seed saving is not only easier than we think, but why it is essential for vibrant, independent, and bountiful gardens. (Perseus Pub.)
You will learn everything you need to know to effectively grow and preserve seeds, starting with process of sowing the seeds at the very start. From there you will learn how to seed the plants until they bloom and how to select plants for harvesting and saving seeds. (Atlantic Pub. Group)
A full-color resource explains how to gather, clean, and store seeds for three hundred different kinds of vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, trees, and shrubs, as well as how to propagate and care for new seedlings. (Baker & Taylor)
The garden seed saving guide : easy heirloom seeds for the home gardener / Jill Henderson.
Longtime organic gardener Jill Henderson explains how preserving open-pollinated and heirloom garden seeds from one season to the next will not only save gardeners money but will also increase their self-sufficiency, help them maintain a naturally diverse gene pool of food plants, and guarantee the purity of their seeds in the age of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Armed with these simple tips and instructions, anyone with a green thumb will find seed saving easy and rewarding. Jill provides an overview of how pollination works and explains the differences between open-pollinated and hybrid plants. Plants are categorized into two groups: those that are easy to preserve and those that require much more time and attention. Expert guidance is provided on how to properly harvest, clean, dry, and store seeds to obtain the best germination rates. (Book Pub. Co.)
Perfect for gardeners and cooks interested in unique flavors, colors and history in their produce, a newly revised and updated reissue of the classic book delivers on the same promise it made two decades ago—to provide meticulously researched and comprehensive profiles of close to 300 plants. (Atlas Pub.)
As small-scale gardens and farms continue to pop up in back yards and on balconies, food growers are embracing the process by planting, preserving, and pickling their produce. Now this guide offers the expertise needed to carry that sensibility even further to practice seed saving. (Workman Press)
Save vegetable seeds as you harvest so your favorite plants can grow again next season. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Fern Marshall Bradley covers everything you need to know to successfully save seeds from 20 popular garden vegetables, including beans, carrots, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. Learn how each plant is pollinated, where to store your collected seeds through the winter, and how to test their replanting viability in the spring. Now you can grow the delicious varieties you love year after year. (Workman Press)
The seed garden : the art and practice of seed saving / Micaela Colley.
Filled with advice for the home gardener and the more seasoned horticulturist alike, The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving provides straightforward instruction on collecting seed that is true-to-type and ready for sowing in next year’s garden. In this comprehensive book, Seed Savers Exchange, one of the foremost American authorities on the subject, and the Organic Seed Alliance bring together decades of knowledge to demystify the time-honored tradition of saving the seed of more than seventy-five coveted vegetable and herb crops—from heirloom tomatoes and long-favored varieties of beans, lettuces, and cabbages to centuries-old varieties of peppers and grains. (Chelsea Green Pub.)
Seed saving : a beginner’s guide to heirloom gardening / Caleb Warnock.
Stop wasting money on store-bought seeds and create a garden you can truly call your own. With easy-to-follow instructions for lettuce, beans, corn, onions, and much more, you'll soon be creating your very own heirloom plants that will keep your garden growing strong and your family eating well. Learn how to save only the best from all your vegetables and create a wealth of seeds your family can use for years to come. (pub.)
Seed sowing and saving : step-by-step techniques for collecting… / Carole B. Turner.
Carole Turner shows you everything you need to know to harvest, dry, store, and sow seeds from more than 100 common garden plants so you can use them again next year. She provides information on appropriately preparing your soil, testing seeds for viability, tending your seedlings, and much more. (Workman Press)
Seedswap : the gardener’s guide to saving and swapping seeds / Josie Jeffery.
Presents a guide to seed saving and creating a seed bank, providing information on why seed banks are important, which seeds to swap and save, and how to get involved with the worldwide horticultural campaign to save seeds. (Baker & Taylor)
Creating dinner from food you’ve grown provides a fantastic sense of accomplishment. Now, imagine the pleasure of starting plants from seeds, tending them, planting them in your garden, harvesting their fruits, and enjoying a delicious meal or bouquet. But that's not the end of the journey. Now you can turn around and save the best seeds for next year’s garden. Suddenly, you’re self-sufficient; you’ve grown your own garden from seed to seed. (Grand Central Pub.)