We're very excited to announce the opening of a seed lending library at the Longview Public Library! Patrons will be able to check out three packets each of open pollinated crop and PNW native seed per season (Spring, Summer, and Fall) to take home and grow--that's six packets of seeds total, per person, per season. The seed collection will be located in one of our old card catalog cabinets on the Main floor. Patrons are encouraged to save and return seed of seed marked "easy".
Unsure about saving seed or even growing things? We'll have a wealth of relevant books and handouts, as well as monthly workshops on topics like seed saving, rock gardening, soil composition, and more!
Are you an experienced grower and/or seed saver? Consider volunteering with us to grow out more complicated crops, give a presentation, or help beginners troubleshoot challenges. To apply, email lplseedlibrary@gmail.com with a description of your interests and background.
Checkouts will open March 2, and we'll be having a plant exchange and kickoff event on
March 25. With this program, we hope to provide seed as an accessible and affordable public
resource, promote biodiversity and local adaptation, increase botanical literacy, and help build
a more generous, self-reliant community. We hope this program can be a hub for learning and
connection around the many ways our lives intersect with plants. We
hope you'll join us, whatever your level of experience. Stay tuned; there's much more
to come. You can also find us on Facebook at LPL Seed Library
and Instagram as @lplseedlibrary. Follow us and help spread the word!
Longview Library events are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required unless otherwise noted. Sign up by calling 360.442.5300 or stopping by the upstairs checkout desk.
March 2
Seed Library checkouts begin
March 7, 2 - 4 p.m.
Seed Saving: Beginning the Journey
Seed saving is central to our mission at the LPL Seed Library. It's fun, satisfying, and beneficial in a multitude of ways.
Join Cowlitz County Master Gardener Alice Slusher for an introduction to seed saving. She'll delve into every facet, from the benefits to terminology to
the methods for all the crops you might like to save. She'll even go over how to plant your seeds for the best chance of success. If you're hoping to save
seed for the library, this is one you won't want to miss!
March 25, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Spring Plant Exchange (No registration required)
Help us kick off the first season of the LPL Seed Library with a plant exchange! Bring your extra seedlings, divisions, layers, bulbs, houseplant cuttings etc. and
trade with your fellow plant nerds. This is a great way to add new plants to your garden (for free!), send your surplus to a good home, and get to know your neighbors.
Be sure to bring a detailed info sheet for each type of plant you bring including name (if you know it), description, growth habit, and care recommendations. We'll provide tags for recipients to copy info. For each plant brought (up to five) you'll receive a ticket which you can use to get plants in the first round. Once everybody who brought plants has exhausted their tickets, it'll be open to folks without plants. So even if you don't have plants to bring, come learn from folks and get something to take home! To that end, we gladly encourage folks to bring extra plants!
April 18, 2 - 4 p.m.
Introduction to Rock Gardening
We're thrilled to welcome Christine Ebrahimi, longtime member and Co-Vice-Chairperson of the North American Rock Garden Society: Columbia-Willamette Chapter,
to introduce us to the world of rock gardening. What is a rock garden? How do you create one? How do you make this special type of garden thrive? Christine will
try to answer all these questions and help gardeners feel comfortable with creating their very own rock garden. Over 25 years, she has created 7 rock gardens at her
own home and made/planted over 20 rock troughs. This will be an interactive talk and discussion, so prepare to get dirty! She hopes to bring some easy plants that
participants can take home and start growing! There will also be specimen plants on display.
May 2, 2 - 4 p.m.
Introduction to Soil
Cowlitz County Master Gardener Joe Long and LCC Natural Sciences Instructor Natalie Tonn present a deep dive into soil, the very foundation of our gardening pursuits.
Learn how soil works and how to make yours work for you! More details to come!
June 6, 2 - 4 p.m.
Restoring Prairies with Native Seed
Our native prairies are wondrous, imperiled ecosystems that deserve wider attention, appreciation and protection. To that end, we have a very special presentation.
Sierra Smith, conservation nursery manager for South Sound Prairies, a tremendous program of the Center for Natural Lands Management, will discuss the history and
dynamics of these ecosystems and CNLM's efforts to restore and protect them.
July 11, 2 - 4 p.m.
Beneficial Insects and How to Attract Them
Master Gardener Anne Wolff will introduce you to the nearly hidden world of beneficial insects in your garden. These are the guys that help to keep the pests
at bay--without your intervention! Learn to recognize them in all their forms, and what to plant to welcome them into your garden!
August 1, 2 - 4 p.m.
What's Bugging Your Garden
Master Gardener Alice Slusher will talk about the insect visitors to your summer garden--both the bad guys and the good ones, and will explain the best ways to manage them.
September 5, 2 - 4 p.m.
Native Plants in Your Landscape
Cowlitz Master Gardener Roxanne Nakamura will offer an introduction to including PNW natives in your home landscapes. Native plants offer a variety of benefits
to the gardener and to the ecology of the garden. Attendees will learn about all these and draw up a list of what natives will work well in their spaces. Please
join us for this look into the rewarding world of native plants.
October 3, 2 - 4 p.m.
Propagation of PNW Natives
Scott and Dixie Edwards, proprietors of Watershed Garden Works, a local native plant nursery and organic farm here in Longview, have been fixtures of our local
food movement and PNW native plant cultivation for decades. They will delve into a wide range of techniques and aspects
of the propagator's practice, informed by their many years putting them to work in the field. Propagation holds tremendous possibilities, whatever the scale at
which you do it.
Mission Statement: The LPL Seed Library seeks to provide seed as an accessible and affordable public resource, promote biodiversity and local adaptation, educate patrons and the public on topics surrounding agriculture and horticulture, and develop a community and culture of self reliance, sustainability, and generosity.
The Purpose of the LPL Seed Library is to:
For more information about the LPL Seed Library, please contact Austin Brigden at 360.442.5310 or by e-mail.
