Concord Seed Lending Library at Fowler

The Concord Seed Lending Library at the Fowler Branch Library provides open pollinated vegetable and ornamental seeds and education about saving seeds and organic gardening. Our goal with this service is to collect and share bio-diverse, locally-adapted plant seeds, cultivated by and for area residents.

Although it is not required to harvest and return seeds to the Concord Seed Lending Library, it is our hope that Seed Library patrons will return seeds from their harvest making the library self-sustaining. The Seed Lending Library is maintained by Library personnel and volunteers and is supported by donations by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library and others. 

April 2023 update

Note: We have not updated the website to reflect this change, but the Seed Lending Library will also offer native seed. During our Native Seed Packing Party in March 2023 we sorted and stocked varieties of native seeds that could still be planted this spring. Stay tuned for more native seed varieties this fall! Most native seed varieties require cold stratification to germinate, and we hope to offer more workshops on how to sow native seed using milk jugs this winter.

The Concord Free Public Library hosted Dr. Robert Gegear on March 29, 2023. His talk, “More than just the buzz: a practical guide to restoring native plant-pollinator system diversity and why it matters,” was recorded by Minuteman Media Network and you can find the recording here. We hope to share more seeds from his plant list in our Seed Lending Library.

As part of our programming during Climate Preparedness Week in September 2022, the library planted a pollinator garden in the backyard at Fowler with help from the Concord Land Conservation Trust, Natural Resources Division, and the Town Pollinator Health Advisory Commission. It is the 10th anniversary of our Seed Lending Library this year, and as we do every spring, we will plant vegetables and herbs in our raised beds! Please visit our gardens this spring. We look forward to sharing our harvest with you, too!

How It Works

Using the Concord Seed Lending Library is simple and perfect for your home garden.

 Borrowing Seeds

• Borrow a few seeds from the Library by visiting us at the Fowler Branch Library.
• Please fill out our borrowing sheet by the Seed Lending Library cabinet with your name, email, and what you borrowed. 
• There is a limit of five seed packets per patron.

Growing Seeds

• Start your seeds indoors if required for the plant to grow, as some seeds should be planted indoors in containers or flats and transplanted outside later when the weather gets warmer. For more information on what seeds to start indoors, visit this link or visit the Library and borrow something from our collection to learn more.
• Directly sow your seeds outdoors if the seeds you are planting grow later in the season when the weather gets warmer. For more information on what seeds to start outdoors, visit this link or visit the Library and borrow something from our collection to learn more.

Saving Seeds

Once you have grown your seeds and enjoyed their bounty, plan to use 1-2 of your best plants for seed harvesting by letting the plants go to seed. To learn how to save seeds from various vegetables, herbs and flowers, explore our Seed Saving webpage.

We plan on including a seed saving kit as part of our Library of Things soon - stay tuned!

Returning Seeds

Place the seeds you collected in an envelope (we have some at the Library for this purpose) and write down the following information:

• Seed name and variety (e.g., bean, cranberry bush)
• Where the seed came from (e.g., my garden, my friends' garden)
• Date the seed was harvested (e.g., harvest date: Sept. 30, 2018)

Finally, bring your envelope to the Circulation Desk at the Fowler Branch Library.

We also maintain a list of patrons who are interested in swapping seeds with one another at the Fowler Branch Library. If you are interested in swapping seeds, we would be happy to connect you.

Seed Saving

There are three general ways to process seeds you are planning on saving, and some seeds that are easier to harvest and save than others. For a list of instructions on saving seeds from a variety of common garden plants, click here.

Dry Seed Processing

For plants with seeds that grow on the outside of the plant:

• Allow the seed to dry on the plant and collect seedpods before they break open.

For plants with seeds that develop in the center of the flower:

• Allow the plant to dry.
• When the stem holding the seed head turns brown, harvest the seeds.

Tip: Collect dry seeds under dry, warm conditions to prevent mold and reduce drying time.

Wet Seed Processing

For seeds that grown inside the fleshy fruit of the plant:

• Rinse off the seeds and dry them thoroughly.

Tip: If the seeds have a gel-like coating, use the fermentation process. 

Fermentation Seed Processing

For seeds with a gel-like coating:

• Mix the seeds and the seed juice with a little water in a small plastic or glass container with a lid.
• Allow the seeds to ferment for 4-6 days.
• When a layer of mold has formed on top of the water and the seeds sink, the fermentation is complete. Add more water, swish it around and remove the mold and pulp. The good seeds will sink to the bottom and the bad seeds will float to the top. Remove the bad seeds.
• Drain the water from the seeds and set them out on a plate, screen or paper towel to dry thoroughly.

Tip: Use the fermentation process for tomatoes, cucumbers, some squash and some melons.

For All Seeds

• Once seeds are completely dry, place them in a moisture-proof container. Label and store seeds in a cool, dry place.
• If possible, return a few seeds to the Concord Seed Lending Library at the Fowler Branch Library in one of the seed return envelopes provided.
• If you are interested in swapping seeds with others, we have a list available at the Fowler Branch Library of other patrons who are interested in seed swapping. We would be happy to connect you.
• We also expect to have a seed saving kit available as part of the Library of Things soon - stay tuned!

Seed Saving Difficulty Level - Easy

Seeds require different levels of work, experience and space to properly save. If you are new to seed saving, we recommend starting with beans, lettuce, peas, or tomatoes. These seeds are called “selfers” because they are self-pollinating. This means that the seeds you save from them will reliably produce plants like the original one planted because it pollinated itself.
Tip: Stick with one variety of a plant, or separate different varieties with a taller buffer crop or distance.

Seed Saving Difficulty Level - Moderate

Other seeds are more likely to cross-pollinate with different varieties of the same plant that are growing nearby. It requires special planning to make sure that the seeds you save will grow into the original variety and not a hybrid variety. Seeds that are insect pollinated or biennial fall into this category. These seeds are likely to cross-pollinate with other varieties of the same plant to grow a hybrid plant. They may also take more than one season to produce seeds. These include beets, carrots, chard, and parsley, parsnips, and peppers.
​Tip: Choose only one variety from each plant or separate similar plants by placing them a good distance apart, like in the front and back yard.

Seed Saving Difficulty Level - Difficult

Difficult seeds grow plants that are wind or insect pollinated and very likely to cross-pollinate with other plant varieties. These include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash.
​Tip: Stick to the single plant variety, stagger growing times, and use tenting or hand pollination techniques to preserve the purity of the seed. It’s also important to check the botanical name to determine which plants are related and susceptible to cross-pollination.