Spring may still be weeks away, but Mississauga gardeners can start planning on Saturday, Feb. 28, when the Mississauga Library opens this year's Seed Library at Hazel McCallion Central Library.
The free annual launch runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Level 2 of the library at 301 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W. It is a drop-in event with no registration, open to all ages and skill levels, and programs are first come, first served.
Exhibitors and workshops
More than a dozen groups will be on hand to share advice. The city's event listing names Blooming Boulevards, the City of Mississauga's environment, natural areas management and park services teams, Credit Valley Conservation, the Credit Valley Horticultural Society, Ecosource, the Master Gardeners, Plant Based Treaty, the Riverwood Conservancy, the Streetsville Horticultural Society, Studio 89 and the Worm Wrangler.
Workshops include planning a native pollinator garden with Blooming Boulevards, tips for starting a range of plants from the Master Gardeners, and a session with Amanda Hunter, known as the Worm Wrangler, on turning kitchen scraps into living soil.
How to get seeds
Seeds are not handed out at the event itself. Starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, residents can fill out a request form at mississaugalibrary.ca/seeds to reserve free seeds for pickup at any library branch.
The program works like a lending library for the garden. Members borrow seeds for food and flowers, grow them at home, and are encouraged to bring some back after the growing season so the collection can sustain itself. The city says the Seed Library now has more than 1,000 members and gave out thousands of seed packets last year.
Donated seeds need to be open-pollinated, non-hybrid, not genetically modified, and ideally heirloom varieties saved over several generations. Donors are asked to clean their seeds and label them with the plant type, the year and where they were grown.
The library says the program supports sustainable local food, seed saving and biodiversity. Gardening guides are also available to borrow through the library catalogue.
