You may have noticed several lending libraries across the city, and now that spring has sprung, Teresa Davies and her husband, Del Mar, have started adding a free seed exchange program and hope the idea gains traction across Moose Jaw’s 29 other independent “Little Library” locations.
“We started with just a Little Library last summer,” Davies said. “Then fall came… and I’m gathering up seeds to save for spring… you get a lot.”
To try something new, Davies added a few plastic bags in her library to see if the idea would gain traction.
“(All the seeds) went almost right away,” she said as she recalled her astonishment at the near-immediate interest from passers-by.
“And then I noticed that other people were putting in little bags of seeds… (that) they collected from radish seeds, (flowers, tomatoes), that sort of thing.”
Seeing firsthand the idea’s potential, Davies went to a local dollar store to purchase re-sealable plastic sandwich containers to store the seeds. She figured that would be enough to accommodate everyone’s level of interest.
“By about February or March, I went and bought a new (plastic container) because there were just so many packages (and) seeds in there…,” she recalled. If the trend continues, Davies said she’ll go as far as installing a third library to account for the burgeoning level of participation.
Little Libraries are located throughout the city and residents may have taken notice of the small structures that closely resemble a birdhouse on several front yards.
The program allows residents to exchange books free of charge, and anyone can stop by to donate or borrow a book. Once you’ve finished reading, the idea is to simply return the book in exchange for another.
Davies noted that some of these independent locations have been going beyond books and adding items ranging from children’s toys to jewellery, and so far, her and her husband have added a second library exclusive to jigsaw puzzles.
Adding seed packets was simply part of a natural progression, and the idea came to Davies as she was doing some routine yard work last fall.
“I don’t even know how many seeds you would get from one marigold flower, (but) I was out for five minutes, and I had two sandwich bags full. I thought, ‘This is more than I could ever use!’” she said.
“If people are trading books, then they’re going to trade seeds too, right?”
Seeds can be supplied by anyone, and both store-bought and garden-harvested seeds are perfectly acceptable. To allow donors to note the date, seed type, and any other relevant details, Davies is supplying a marker and labels – which includes a few Christmas gift tags someone has re-purposed and left in her library for use as seed labels.
Davies isn’t sure how many other locations will adopt the new idea, and with each library independently owned and maintained, it’s up to each separate owner to decide if they’ll participate.
“As far as I know, we’re the only one so far – but it would be great (if other library owners got on board),” she said.
To get on board, create your own Little Library, or for more information – including a map of all 30 Moose Jaw locations – visit the group’s Facebook page, ‘Moose Jaw Little Libraries.’
Davies’ Little Library with the seed exchange is located at B12 Prairie Oasis Trailer Court.
