WELCOME!
HBPL Seed Library provides seeds to HBPL cardholders. Patrons can check out up to 6 seed packets per month to grow in their home gardens. At the end of the season, we encourage you to let a few plants go to seed and donate the seeds back to the seed library for others to use. This creates a sustainable and diverse stock of seeds for our community to use.
Although we do accept donations, most seeds provided are purchased through our library's program funding. Most Native California seeds are donated by Shipley Nature Center.
Although we do accept patron seed donations with gratitude, there is no guarantee that the seeds will be offered or appropriate for HBPL seed library. Please make that seeds are completely dry and sealed in an envelope or reclosable plastic bag and labeled clearly with the exact name of the plant. For example: "Lettuce" is not labeled correctly. A correct label would show what kind of lettuce is being donated such as "Buttercrunch Lettuce". Our volunteer seed librarians evaluate all donations in order to decide which seeds will be added to the seed library.
Seed libraries are at all HBPL locations and are seasonally stocked. For more detailed information, visit "Local Links" and "Informational Resources" menus are located on the right side of this page.
We also provide classes on gardening and seed saving. All of these services are free.
Let's grow things!
Spring seeds are now available! Look for hot pepper, peanuts, sunflowers, flowers, additional herbs, veggies and roots as well as melon seeds, green beans and some squashes.
New seeds have been recently added for year round and fall/winter/spring planting. Visit any HBPL location to see what's come in. We have Thai Basil, Catnip, Cumin and other herbs. We have added some greens as well as onion varieties. And for the flower lovers out there, we have provided Sweet Peas. Take a peek at our Native California selection. You will find Bladderpod and very soon, Arroyo Lupine. Both generously donated by Shipley Nature Center. Visit shipleynature.org to learn more about California native plants along with other local links provided in the right hand menu of this page. Happy planting!
Search our Catalog to discover great collections of gardening titles.
"This is the second year of the peas from the seed library. We grew them last year and they reseeded themselves."
"Thanks, the library gave us something to do as a family with teens - that’s a feat!"
"Just wanted to say thank you for making the seed library possible. Here a couple photos of some Marigold I got from the library a couple months back. Biggest marigold I've ever seen and can't believe they're from seed!"
"My tiny harvest! Serrano peppers (great spice) and heirloom tomatoes (so delicious).
Thank you seed library!"
“Thank you so much for having this program at the library. It has been so fruitful for us. Growing from seed gives us endless pleasure and edification (not to mention sustenance and beauty)….We’ve even started our own seed library at home, where we try to store and organize seeds in a similar way as to the HBPL. We’ve also, taught ourselves how to collect some of the seeds, and have happily spread the seeds, and the word, to family and friends. The depths of the utility of urban farming, curtesy of your seeds never seems to end, as we have even started drying our chamomile to make tea and plan on using our pumpkin for pie. Thank you again! What a brilliant idea and stellar execution. Thank you and Sincerely, Erik”
"...another picture of the developing lettuce grown from the seedlings checked out from the Seed Library".