Aug 01, 2022 Seed Library Successes and Planning Your Fall Garden
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library has distributed more than 22,767 packets of seeds through our Seed Library in 2022. While seeds aren’t something patrons borrow in the traditional sense, the seeds do come back to us in the form of photos and stories our Library patrons share with us. Here are a few success stories patrons have sent to us about the seeds growing in their gardens.
Show and Tell
Kayla Goodfellow emailed to tell us about the experiences she and her daughter, Pearl, have had this summer growing flowers and vegetables.
“We’ve already had amazing success with the zinnias and sun flowers. Just look at the pictures!” Kayla said. “We had very limited experience with growing anything in the past. Having the seeds available, I felt much more empowered to give gardening a try. And this lets-see-what-happens approach has yielded pretty good results. Our flowers have been great and we still have peppers, beets and cucumbers to be harvested a little later in the summer.”
The success didn’t come only from what was growing in the ground, however. Kayla also mentioned how her daughter flourished through gardening.
“My daughter felt very invested in the growing process since she got to pick out the seeds and see them grow from their tiniest sprouts. There are so many lessons tied up in watching things grow,” she said. “I’m so glad the library offered this program. It was just the nudge we needed.”
Meanwhile, Allie shared a little of her gardening experience on Instagram.
“I’m feeling so proud of my first garden harvest–even though I basically did nothing except plant these little babies in some dirt! Onions, kale, carrots, tomato, banana pepper. Lots more to dig out of the ground soon, including beets,” she shared as @imbookedtonight. “Shoutout to my awesome library @discoverhmmpl for providing the seeds through their garden program. I guess you can call me farmer Allie!”
Fall Gardening
While the summer growing season is coming to an end, there is still time to begin your fall garden. Many vegetables that thrive in the early spring growing season can be planted again in the fall. These are usually frost-hardy plants, like peas or spinach, or ones that mature best in cooler weather, like cauliflower or brussels sprouts.
Our seed library currently has several varieties of seeds that will grow well in your fall garden, including carrots, collard greens, cress, kale, kohlrabi, peas and turnips. These seeds are available near the 6th Street Entrance, and you can take up to 20 packets.
For more information about growing a fall garden, review these resources recommended by Patricia VanArsdale, Teen & Adult Assistant Department Head, who has spearheaded the Seed Library program.
The following books are available to be checked out through our Library catalog:
In addition, Patricia suggested these resources from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service that offer tips specifically for Indiana fall gardeners:
- Fall Vegetable Garden, including a table of the cold temperature tolerance of various vegetables
- Purdue Vegetable Planting Calendar, including maps and charts to help you know when to plant what vegetables.
- Fall Vegetable Garden, including tips for planting and frost protection.
- FoodLink, including photos to help you identify vegetables and tips for how to cook them.
You can also find more gardening resources by searching our Library catalog or by heading straight to the stacks and browsing our collection. Look for books about gardening vegetables in the nonfiction section 635.1-635.8 Edible Garden Crops or gardening for flowers 635.9 Flowers and Ornamental Plants.
Future Programs
The Library already is planning for next year’s Seed Library, but in the meantime, we’re hosting two events this fall for patrons who are interested in learning more about gardening.
- Mon., Sept. 19 @ 6:30 PM – Saving Seeds from your Garden – Mindy Murdock from the Zionsville Nature Center will give a presentation on saving seeds from your garden.
- Wed., Nov. 2 @ 6 PM – Seed Swap – The Library will host a seed swap in conjunction with the Zionsville Nature Center.
Both of these programs will be in the Hussey Room.