#SeedLibrary

[corkcitylibraries]

Sow...Let's Grow

Come May the garden is bursting with life, my irises are in full bloom, my strawberries have just started to flower, my peas, sweet peas and Martock beans (readers of this blog may remember I was given these beans at a seed saving talk held in Hollyhill Library during Heritage Week last year) are all well on their way and one of my jobs for the weekend is to build them a trellis. The weather is fine, the days are long and at this time of year there is nothing I love more than pottering around my garden watching everything bask in the sunshine.

Here are all the seeds you can plant in May (and it just so happens we have them all in stock in Hollyhill Library!)

Enough that you could plant something new every day of May and still have seeds left over. I have planted my calendula seeds in amongst my garlic and onion bed as a companion plant. Companion planting is sowing two specific seeds next to each other because they each have properties that are mutually beneficial to each other. Calendula is a great one as it is not only extremely attractive to pollinators, but it also deters aphids and whitefly. Common crops that will benefit from calendula being planted near them include: tomatoes, beans, courgettes, and all brassicas and alliums.

To sow calendula seeds you can start them off indoors in a sunny window and plant them out once they are about 5cm tall or you can plant them straight outside if the risk of frost has passed. Use a good compost or well raked soil and cover the seeds with a thin layer, water well and you should be able to see your seeds growing in 1 – 2 weeks’ time. Calendula is an annual so it will only last the year, but they are also great self seeders.

A more in-depth exploration of companion planting can be found in Jill Billington’s Planting Companions, available to borrow from Hollyhill Library. The author talks about natural compatibility and the importance of understanding your garden climate, for example, how shaded it is, the acidity of the soil, when choosing what to plant in your garden. She focuses mainly on flowers and goes into a lot of detail about using height and space to your advantage but if veg is more your cup of tea then Jessica Walliser’s Plant Partners: science-based companion planting strategies for the vegetable garden is the one for you. This book really covers all the bases with chapters on weed management, support structures, pest management and pollination showing you how to really maximise the space you have and the plants you can grow. Working with your garden and understanding how the plants interact with each other would probably be described as holistic gardening today but the concept of listening to nature and learning from the environment around you has been around for hundreds of years.

Happy gardening 😊

[bijitdutta]

Know Your Seed: #13

Sonajuli Bau: Deep water, Red Rice.

The sixteenth century Assamese poet Ram Saraswati mentions red rice in his poem "Bhim Charit" entitled "Shiva's Agriculture"

Red rice is rich in magnesium, which is good for your bone. Red rice is rich in antioxidants such as anthocyanin. 

Red rice helps in regulating and maintaining insulin levels. It reduces stress levels and fatigue. Cook like a regular rice. Soaking is not required.

Red rice, has a low glycemic index. It keeps the glucose in the blood at minimal.

Rich in Antioxidants, Dietary Fibre, Vitamin B1, B2, B6 and many nutrients.

[poisonerspath]

The plant people community here in st pete is amazing! Community composting, community gardens, food gardens, seed libraries, plant spirit medicine and even an herbalist school! I can’t help but feel that I landed exactly where I’m supposed to be. #plantdad #seedlibrary #seedsharing #plantpeopleofstpete #plantpeople #plantmedicine (at Saint Petersburg, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CciwaOoLbOu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[growninhaiti]

One of the first requirements for growing a successful garden is finding a good seeds from plant varieties that have been adapted to your area. Many companies provide such seeds... but what if they stopped? Even if that wasn’t the case (and it seems to be at the moment), you may still want to collect, store, and plant seed from your own garden or maybe swap with a neighbor. This is where saving seeds become an invaluable skill. You’re not only saving money but you’re putting full control of your families food back into your own hands where they belong. I’ve added a brochure on seed saving techniques in the ‘info graphics’ highlight and if anyone has further questions or need recommendations for useful resources, please feel free to message me directly. ・・・ #growninhaiti #beans #variety #diversity #seeds #seedsaving #seedswap #seedlibrary #seedbank #growyourfood #selfreliance #independence #freedom #anticalitalism #growmore #haiti #ayiti #genetics #foodforest #agroforestry #growth #nogmos #nopesticides #noherbicides #youcandoit #plantaseed #watchitgrow https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5bQ03l8ka/?igshid=15hayqb65t4x5

[gexydaf]

Lego Librarian has been itching to visit the Edmonton Public Library #stanleyamilnerlibrary in #downtownedmonton #edmonton #legolibrarian. It was great! It had a #seedlibrary, #makerspace area and a huge big screen monitor showing an undersea seen. #imagine #legolibrarianexplores #legolibrarianexploreslibraries (at Stanley A. Milner Library) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfmDZLOLsTv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cutsliceddiced]

New GIF tagged giphyupload, food, nature, green, plant, library, seed, seedlibrary via Giphy https://ift.tt/kw5xdr9 via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

[wdcgardener]

Great to see this little free seed library around the corner is active and I will walk over to drop off some more seeds soon. #gardendc #seedlibrary #seeds #seedswap #seedswapday #dmv #dc #picoftheday #nofilter #seedlibraries (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZPG4JTuo3F/?utm_medium=tumblr

[life1122llc]

In their new home. Glad to see them go! Finishing up and out the door with projects! #seedlibrary #cabinets #shelving #booklibrary #pantry #redbarn #powertools #community #communitycenter #wellness #health (at Middletown, Connecticut) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHZqq1gNco/?igshid=1npmq0li9ciqt

[dissonantdata]

Seed Librarys

Been thinking about the idea of community/sharing through plants and seeds - like a book swap station. Also a way to incorporate craft/making/recycling - eg using egg boxes to house plants and making seed packets from scratch.

https://www.cca-glasgow.com/about-cca/glasgow-seed-library

[corkcitylibraries]

Sow…Let’s Grow: July 2024

In July the garden is absolutely teeming with life. My housemates and I built a birdbox together and created a small shelf where we can leave food and watch the birds from the kitchen window. So far, we have seen ravens, blackbirds, thrushes, and a most inquisitive robin. My peas and beans are producing fruit like no tomorrow, and we had an interesting visit from a little insect visitor. One of my coworkers is single handedly supplying me with courgettes and I have made many soups and cakes and courgette fritters with these plentiful little vegetables.

Jobs for July:

1) July is the best time to pick lavender. Choose to harvest in the middle of the day to ensure that all the morning dew has evaporated. Cut the lavender stems at the base, just where the branch leaves become stems and leave to dry in a cool dark space (although others leave it out to dry in the open to enjoy the smell). A cloth or paper bag works best as the flowers will shed through the drying process. It takes 3 – 4 weeks for the lavender to dry completely and retains it fragrance for over a year afterwards.

2) Watch out for pests such as the lily beetle. I was out admiring the garden the other day and came across some odd little gooey green blobs on the underside of my lily leaves. I removed them immediately because although I did not know what they were, it was almost bound to be a pest! Several days later and I spy a bright red beetle sunning itself amongst the lilies and after a quick internet search I came to the conclusion that it was Lilioceris Lilii a beetle that can decimate members of the Lilium and Fritillaria families. It had flown away before I could get rid of it, but I haven’t seen it since. If you have seen this bright little beetle in your garden, spraying the affected plant with sunflower oil ought to do the trick.

3) Water peas and beans regularly. They produce multitudes of fruit over the growing period and because of this they are thirsty little plants. Keep them moist and feed them if you are so inclined, I feed mine whenever I remember I have a bottle of liquid tomato feed under the sink!

4) Now is a good time to take tender perennial cuttings like fuchsia. I have taken cuttings from two varieties of fuchsia this year Magellanica Alba and Genii, the former having lovely pale pink flowers and the latter having bright, vibrant green leaves. To start, cut several stems with as little flower buds as possible, about 3 – 4 inches. Fill a pot with good compost or fine soil and pop the cuttings in. Water well and place a plastic bag over the top of the pot and fit an elastic band round so that it won’t fall off. After a couple of weeks each of these cuttings will have put down roots and will be ready to be potted on, each one a new baby fuchsia bush.

[bijitdutta]

Know Your Seed: #12

Joha Rice that was used to awaken Kumbhakarna: The 14th Century, Assamese Ramayana written by Kaviraja Madhava Kandali mentions that food items made from Joha Rice were used by Ravana to awaken his brother Kumbhakarna from his deep sleep.

Joha Rice have the strongest aroma attributed to the high concentration of a compound named 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.

Know about previous posts:

[bbseedlibrary]

This gorgeous gal comes from one of the many wildflower seeds we scattered in our Poppy Garden

[thecuriouscoconut]

How cool is this?! The way the seed library works is that you sign up for specific seeds you want to plant with the understanding that you will let one of each type of plants you grow go to seed so you can replenish seeds back to the library. That way the library grows over time. They provide information for how to care for the seeds and how to save the seeds. 🌱 // Do you have a garden? Growing some of your own food is so rewarding. I find gardening one of the most relaxing and grounding exercises. There are very real physiological benefits to getting your hands in the soil, too! // I need to look at my own seeds and plan my spring garden ASAP! I'm excited to sign up for this since I love the process of saving seeds. I am a pro at it for radishes and arugula 😂 // Check your local library for a seed library you can take advantage of. This one is at th main branch of the @memphislibrary // #seedlibrary #memphis #gardening #organicgardening #squarefootgarden #growyourown #homegrown #organicveggies #localfood #backyardgardener #901 #paleo #aip #chronicfatigue #gardentherapy (at Benjamin Hooks Library)

[growninhaiti]

Some new updates happening this week on our website. Make sure to check back periodically as these changes happen 🙃 ・・・ www. GROWNINHAITI.com ・・・ www. GROWNINHAITI.com ・・・ www. GROWNINHAITI.com ・・・ #growninhaiti #diy #doityourself #webdesign #html #coding #updates #thankyoucomeagain #reforestation #agroforestry #pollinators #savethebees #haiti #ayiti #biodiversity #sustainableagriculture #livingseedbank #seedlibrary #communitydevelopment #support https://www.instagram.com/p/BvX7JUdjC2K/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=187y4y1b3aruy

[neil137]

In early spring I “signed-out” several packets from the Seed Library, at the St. Thomas Public Library. Although not every planting was successful, every seed packet has a story … Toadflax - tall strands of delicate, fragrant micro-blossoms, enjoyed by insects and humans alike. Pretty and easy to grow, I’ve collected the seeds to deposit back to the library. @stthomaspubliclibrary #seedlibrary #heirloom #library (at City of St Thomas) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1FBWJpnwOF/?igshid=5nu2xt300i30

[martymcgee]

A variety of assortments.. Seeds please.. #mcgeehomegarden #seeds #seedsplease #donatedseeds #fortbraggca #fortbragglibrary #fortbraggbranchlibrary #fortbraggseedlibrary #seedlibrary (at Inglenook, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzFFb9ZFFgu/?igshid=1aizfw43kdl8y