Library plans gardening workshops

Local gardeners are invited to attend free seed-saving workshops, beginning with a special kickoff event 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Fairfield Public Library?s meeting room.

?When everything is blanketed in snow outside, what better time to plan your summer garden?? asked Fairfield library director Rebecca Johnson.

The presentor for the kickoff event Saturday is Grant Olson, the public programs manager from Seed Savers Exchange, who helps gardeners learn to save and share heirloom seeds.

Following the kickoff event, the library will offer four free Thursday workshops: Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 6, and March 13 ? all from 7-9 p.m.

Each workshop will focus on saving a certain type of seed.Opportunities for discussion and seed swaps are planned.

The heirloom seed collection at Fairfield library is expanding, with another donation from Seed Savers Echange of Decorah.

The newly arrived seed packets include more lettuces and flowers, as well as beets, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumber, broccoli, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, melon, pepper, radish, squash and tomato.

The packets are searchable in the online catalog under the term ?heirloom seeds.?

?Here at the library, we discovered a new purpose for the old wooden card catalog,? said Johnson. ?Its drawers are perfectly sized for seed packets.?

Patrons use their library cards to borrow seed packets the same way they check out books, except the loan period is much longer. Those who successfully grow the seeds at home can keep some for themselves and return some seeds from the propagated plants to the library for others to enjoy next year.

Another option for gardeners is the Friends of The Library seed fundraiser. The group is selling discounted collections of heirloom seed packets from Seed Savers Exchange. Four packets of seeds are in each $10 collection: Big Salad Bowl, Container Magic, Kids Favorites, Pizza Party, Heritage Garden and Flower Passion.

Free brochures with order forms are available at Fairfield Farmers? Market and the library?s front desk, until Feb. 22. For information, call Kathy Goodman at 472-8701.

Seed-lending libraries have ?cropped up? all over the world, and a free map at www.seedlibrarian.com shows hundreds of locations.

Local Sustainability Coordinator Scott Timm said, ?Learning to grow and save heirloom seeds is a valuable and enjoyable skill. It not only provides nutrition, beauty and sustenance for your family, but cultivates and maintains great history as well, because every seed has a story.?