Garden Variety

The UMass Libraries have long been a place to grow one’s knowledge. But that’s not all you can grow, thanks to the Mass Aggie Seed Library. Located in the Science and Engineering Library in the Lederle Graduate Research Center Lowrise, the seed library allows anyone in the community to obtain seeds for free on a self-serve basis whenever the library is open. Patrons can also borrow gardening books and select tools with a community borrower’s card (available to all Massachusetts residents and UMass alumni).

The idea for the seed library was first planted in 2018 by undergraduate biology major Gabriella Bosco ’20. Bosco approached UMass science librarian Paulina Borrego, who immediately jumped at the chance to sow such a resource. Borrego spent the rest of 2018 planning, and the seed library officially launched in 2019. The collection provides a cost-effective way to expand the selection in one’s home or community garden and is paid for in part by the Sustainability, Innovation, and Engagement Fund. Seeds are donated by companies such as Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Hudson Valley Seed, and High Mowing, as well as by the UMass Permaculture Garden. Community members looking to give back can also donate saved seeds at the end of the growing season.

A gardener herself, Bosco believes that the seed library is best approached with a sense of adventure. There are even drawers full of mystery seeds marked “Who knows” for the particularly bold. “If someone insists on having one particular variety of something, they’re probably better off buying from a catalog,” Bosco told the Greenfield Recorder. “But if they’re not so picky, the seed library is the way to go.”