The Seed Library
Pick up free seeds to start your vegetable, herb, or flower garden free! The Indianapolis Public Library Seed Library is available at all our locations during regular branch hours from late March through September. One packet of each type of seed per household. In addition to free seeds, check out resources and attend workshops about growing and using plants from your seeds. We provide materials and programs to make gardening in Indianapolis a doable goal for beginners.
Tune in online for a a Gardening Storytime – a great way to read up on beginning gardening projects for kids. For kids, gardening offers a way to get messy and watch the payoff for their hard work, in the form of growing veggies and beautiful flowers. You can say, “Hey! I grew the thing! Look at the thing that I grew! Isn’t it pretty?” Imagine the Instagram fun!
Programs
- Event: Garden Pests & Diseases
- Date & Time: Monday, August 18, 6:00pm
- Location: Warren Branch
- Description: Join Master Gardeners to learn about the things that annoy and bother your garden (and the things you don’t need to worry about).
- Register Here
- Event: Cover Crops and End of Season Garden Tasks
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 30, 1:00pm
- Location: Glendale Branch
- Description: As the gardening season moves into Fall there are still things to do. We’ll talk about cover crops, crop rotation and how to get your garden tools ready for winter storage. This is a time to celebrate your victories and plan for next year.
- Register Here
- Event: Harvesting and Preserving Herbs
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 09, 6:00pm
- Location: East 38th Street Branch
- Description: Join Shirley Ulicni to learn about when and how to harvest and store your herbs. Learn about drying, freezing, and important tips and tricks!
- Register Here
- Event: Gardening with Bulbs
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 09, 6:00pm
- Location: East Washington Branch
- Description: Join Amy Mullen to learn about gardening with flower bulbs. Amy will share when to plant different bulbs and how to care for them.
- Register Here
- Event: Fall Garden Tasks
- Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 2:00pm
- Location: Lawrence Branch
- Description: Join Jo Ellen to learn about what you should be doing in your garden this fall to wrap up your growing season (and prepare for the next one).
- Register Here
- Event: Sensory Gardens
- Date & Time: Thursday, September 18, 6:00pm
- Location: InfoZone Branch
- Description: Gardens feed all of your senses – taste, sight, smell, touch, and hearing. Join a Master Gardener to explore how gardens are especially great for neurodiverse children and adults.
- Register Here
View on Demand
Learn on Demand Video: Seed Saving
Join Anika Williams from the Pike Branch of The Indianapolis Public Library as she harvests milkweed seeds on site and discusses the Seed Library available there.
Reading Recommendations from our Staff
Browse these featured staff book lists to help improve your gardening in Indianapolis skills. See all our gardening book lists.
Gardening in Indianapolis Resources
Follow Purdue Extension, one of the best ways to learn about gardening in Indiana. Browse their recommended online resources:
- Free Gardening Docs from Purdue Extension Purdue also has a fine YouTube channel with informative videos. As always, the Extension’s information is tailored specifically for Hoosier gardeners.
Gardening for Kids
- Gardening Storytime Online
- Plants for Kids Book List – Experiments and Activities for Backyard Botanists
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