Need vegetable seeds? Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library is a nonprofit located in the main branch of the Richmond Public Library. Even though the public library is temporarily closed, we wanted to continue to provide access to free seeds and classes. As a result we have launched Richmond Grows Little Free Seed Libraries in a number of places in town. Each site has only four types of seeds available. Availability is constantly changing. The list of locations and varieties can be found on the Richmond Grows' home page. 

Getting Seeds

Borrowing Seeds from Richmond Grows Little Free Seed Libraries

Richmond Grows

10 years of sharing seeds!

Do you have a basil plant? Want some basil but can't get any seeds? Try propagating more basil from cuttings. Please share some of your plants with others or ask friends and family if they can give you a few branches from their basil plant. REMINDER: Treat all material as potentially infected. Wear a mask. Wash hands or wear clean gloves before cutting and sharing any material or picking up cuttings. After putting the cuttings in water, wash your hands and let the cuttings sit until rooted. 

Propagating Basil: Grow an INFINITE Supply Forever

We have a limited number of basil seeds. They will be available to people who:

1. Propagate seeds using the above method and give cuttings to friends and neighbors AND

This seed will be what we offer next year!

NOTE: Letting plants go to seed often takes an extra 6-8 weeks in the garden. So if you have limited space for growing this is not going to be the best things.

It's too late in the season to start tomatoes from seed. However, if you have a tomato plant or know someone who has a tomato plant, you can make a new plant from a cutting! It's super easy. Let's all propagate tomatoes from cuttings and share with friends, family, and neighbors. Tomatoes for all! 

REMINDER: Treat all material as potentially infected. Wear a mask. Wash hands or wear clean gloves before cutting and sharing any material or picking up cuttings. After putting the cuttings in water, wash your hands and let the cuttings sit until rooted. 

How to Clone a Tomato from a Cutting - Free Plants!����

Great, Great Aunt Rosie was a relative of one of my neighbors. They've been saving this delicious Italian pole bean for generations here in the East Bay. The bean has been named after the woman who passed it down to her family. It's good as a green bean. It is excellent as a shelling and soup bean. Heavy producer!

Great, Great Aunt Rosie's Italian Pole Beans are available at the Richmond Grows Little Free Seed Library, 624 31st St. Monday-Friday. Please wear a mask. My mask protects YOU. Your mask protects ME.

Learn to save seeds so you have some for next year. It's super easy. Just let the seed pods dry on the vine. Save from multiple plants. Shell. Put in a labeled envelope or jar. Share some seeds with friends and plant next year!

Check out our New Gardener webpage. We have the resources in Spanish too. Let your friends who are getting interested in gardening know about the resources.

You can also join our East Bay Gardening forum to share tips and strategies and learn from others. 
Subscribe: 

There is also a free e-book from the Contra Costa County Master Gardeners called the Vegetable Gardening Handbook for Beginners. The Contra Costa Master Gardeners' website has lots of great resources for both new and experienced gardeners. Here's the list of what to this season. Consider signing up for their newsletter to get tips and ideas about what to do in the garden at that particular time. 

Absolute Beginner's Vegetable Gardening Class

Register

Free, online

OR
Wed., May 20th 6:30-8:30 PM
Register

Free, online

Are you new to gardening?

• what to grow and when to grow it
• sunlight requirements for different plants
• how to start plants from seeds
• how to build your soil
• what plants do well in containers
• how to properly plant seeds and starts
• the basics of watering your plants
• what to do if your plants aren't thriving

You'll get the login information a few days before the class starts. 

	Beefy Resilient Grex Bean

Learn how to save seeds from common vegetables such as beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.  94% of commercial varieties that were available 100 years ago are gone and the biodiversity that we have left will be stewarded by community members like you.  Explore how seed saving can enrich your life, save you money, and preserve biodiversity. Help save heirlooms of the past and breed heirlooms of the future. Create more resilience in your life and community by saving seeds!