The 2024 HEPL Seed Library will open on Monday, March 4! We love hearing about your gardens every year, and we know the Seed Library is very important to library users. Our hope is that with the HEPL Seed Library, you will explore how wonderful gardening can be, no matter where you are in your gardening journey.
Visit the Seed Library webpage for a complete list of seeds and growing guides. Don’t forget to tag us on social media (@hamiltoneastpl #heplgrowers) if you post pictures of your garden!
How does the Seed Library work?
The Seed Library is open to all Hamilton County residents. Beginning March 4, you can come to the Fishers or Noblesville Library to get a maximum of 20 seed packets per library cardholder for the 2024 growing season. We follow the honor system, so no need to check in with a staff member unless you have questions. You are not required to return seeds, but we do welcome most varieties of harvested seeds to share again with our community. If you have gardening questions, you can email the Seed Library team at [email protected].
Can I get seeds for my school/community group/nonprofit?
Yes! We love working with the schools, community groups, and HOAs to beautify Fishers and Noblesville. If you’d like to partner with us, please reach out at [email protected].
What kinds of seeds do you have?
There are 145 seed varieties in HEPL’s collection this year, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and even a native grass. The seeds are non-GMO and open-pollinated. We do not include hybrid plants in the collection since the seeds from these plants will not breed true. You’ll find old favorites as well as fresh varieties each year. We also label our plants by difficulty level so you can choose plants that you’ll find the most success with.
We included several new varieties this year: Homemade Pickles cucumbers, Red Malabar spinach, Anaheim peppers, Greek oregano, summer savory, Long Island Cheese pumpkins, salsify, Amana Orange tomatoes, ageratum (floss flower), annual candytuft, Ohio spiderwort, common ironweed, and much more!
You’ll also see the return of many of your favorites, including zinnias, Suyo Long cucumbers, Moon & Stars watermelons, shishito peppers, Munstead lavender, Genovese basil, Pacific Beauty calendula, Nigella, and Blue False indigo.
Can I donate seeds?
Yes! We welcome your donated seeds, although we are unable to accept varieties like squash and pumpkins that cross-pollinate easily. We have a short donation form that you can fill out when you come to the library, and we’ll get your seeds to the Seed Library team.
Gardening Help & Resources from Hamilton East Public Library
One of the pleasures of gardening is that there’s always something new to learn, whether this the first year you’ve tried a garden or you’ve been gardening your entire life. The library has a large gardening book collection (search the catalog for your specific topics). You might also try our Gardening with Kathy videos on YouTube, covering everything from starting seeds indoors to saving seeds and many gardening needs in between. We also have a slate of gardening-related programs each year, such as this upcoming program:
Peony Planting 101 on Tuesday, March 19 | 6:30-7:30pm | Noblesville Library
Peony Planting 101 will help novice gardeners and experienced gardeners new to raising peonies get started off right and headed for their first successful crop of peonies next spring.
For even more information and updates, check HEPL’s Bright Ideas email newsletter, visit the Seed Library webpage for a complete list of plants, watch HEPL’s social media, or email us for more information at [email protected].