Exchange your excess seeds, plant starts and perennials for something new to you and your garden Saturday, May 5, at the Seed and Plant Exchange. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Historic Streetcar Station, 1224 N. Lexington Parkway. In addition to plant and seed exchanges, there will be information on a variety of garden topics:
• Learn the mosaic of soil health for you and your garden.
• Bring your garden challenges and queries for garden educators to answer.
• Share your green thumb and seed stories with your neighbors.
• Create seed-packet art and enter it in our seed-packet design contest.
• Learn how to invite beneficial companions—bumble bees, wasps and birds—to your garden for a larger harvest for all.
• Enter to win a seed-saving basics kit (must be present to win).
If you bring plants to exchange, be sure they are healthy, pest-free perennials and annuals. Try to package them individually, with labels that include their name, variety and any appropriate growing or planting information. If you’re sharing something that was shared with you, feel free to include the story.
Share commercially grown seeds in the original packaging (preferably heirloom, organic and untreated seeds) or saved seeds labeled with as much information as possible, including seed type, common name and variety, grower’s name, what year it was grown, if organic and any other pertinent growing information and seed story.
Was it your grandmother’s favorite? Did you get the seed from a neighbor? While traveling?
The event will include demonstrations and other information to help build your gardener’s toolbox of skills plus your seed-saving resources. All participants will leave with something, so share what you can even if it’s just your great gardening story. Volunteer at the May Mosaic Plant and Seed Exchange and get a preview of what’s available and a special thank you gift.
The Como Community Seed Library, a mobile seed library, was founded in fall 2015 to give the community access to free organic seed and garden education with a focus on cultivating a community of seed savers who sow, grow and share.
For more information, contact Dawn Lamm at 651-366-0017 or ComoSeedSavers@gmail.com.
You can find the group on Facebook and Instagram or on the website at comoseedsavers.geopoi.us.