Rotary Botanical Gardens Unveils New Seed Library, Just in Time for Spring!

Spring is here, and Rotary Botanical Gardens has a brand-new offering to help you make the most of the growing season: the Rotary Botanical Gardens Seed Library.

What Is a Seed Library?

A seed library is a community resource where people can borrow, plant, and return seeds for free. It operates just like a traditional library, with a focus on promoting biodiversity, sustainable gardening, and food security by making local, adapted, and heirloom seed varieties accessible to everyone.

Gardeners check out seeds, grow them, save seeds from the harvest, and ideally return some to the library for the next person. No library card or membership required. They are open to all community members and can range from small boxes of seeds to large, organized cabinets. At RBG, ours is a cart chosen and designed by Education Manager Kim Lewis and beautifully handpainted by Nan Yildizer, Retail Specialist in the Cottage Gallery and Gift Shop and a very talented artist.

Seed libraries also serve as a community education resource, providing information on gardening, seed saving, and growing techniques. And by helping preserve rare and locally adapted plant varieties, they reduce our reliance on major seed companies and support local food sovereignty.

How It Works at RBG

The RBG Seed Library is stocked with annuals, vegetables, and perennials, and it lives right in our atrium. Stop by anytime the garden is open and take a packet of seeds home with you, no membership required. Anyone is welcome.

If your seeds are successful this season, consider harvesting seeds in the fall and bringing them back. To donate, just fill out one of the blank envelopes available in the library, write the common name of the plant, the number of seeds inside, and your name if you'd like, then drop it into the annual, perennial, or vegetable section. It's that simple.

And because the library is community-driven, it will look a little different every time you visit, depending on what fellow gardeners have contributed.

"Whether you're an experienced gardener or just getting started, the Seed Library has something for everyone. It's free, it's located right in our atrium, and it's open to anyone who walks through our doors. We wanted to create something that gives back to the community every single season, and that's exactly what it does." -- Kim Lewis, Education Manager

Not Sure How to Harvest Seeds?

We have you covered. Join us on September 8 for our Garden Speaker Series presentation, Exploring Seed Harvesting, where we'll walk you through everything you need to know just in time to bring your seeds back to the library this fall.

Come Check It Out

The Seed Library is available whenever the garden is open, year-round. Next time you visit, swing by the atrium and see what's there. You might just find your next favorite plant.

A special thank you to the Morning Rotary Club for their generous donation that made the RBG Seed Library possible.

Find your moment at the Gardens! Rotary Botanical Gardens 1455 Palmer Dr. Janesville, WI 53545.