Seed Library Garden Club Newsletter – January 2025

We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the Seed Library Garden Club this January! Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just curious about starting, we’d love to have you join us. Here’s what’s happening:

 

📅   When: Wednesday, January 15, 2025

🕔   Time: 5:00–6:30 pm

📍     Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3rd Floor Reading Area

 

At our Kickstart Event, we’ll:

• Get to know each other and share what excites us about gardening.
• Tour the Seed Library, Children’s Courtyard, and other spaces for potential club use.
• Share our vision for the Seed Library Garden Club and gather your ideas for future programming—you’re the inspiration behind this club!
• Enjoy snacks and drinks while connecting with fellow garden enthusiasts.

📢 Save the Date! After January, the club will meet every second Wednesday of the month, 5:00–6:30 pm.

 

👉 Register here to join us!

 

 

📅   When: Sunday, February 2, 2025

🕑   Time: 2:00–4:00 pm

📍     Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library

 

Kick off the gardening season with our Seed Swap, bringing together gardening organizations, experts, and hobbyists from across the city to exchange seeds and knowledge.

 

At the Seed Swap, you’ll find:

• A fully stocked Seed Library with free vegetables, herbs, flowers, and native plants.
• Experts from organizations like Memphis Native Tree Works, Everbloom Farmacy, Shelby County Master Gardeners, Memphis Botanic Gardens, Memphis City Beautiful, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and more.
• Opportunities to trade your saved seeds or simply learn and get inspired!

👉 Find more information and register here.

 

 

 

🎨  Partnering with the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, these classes meet every third Tuesday from 1–2 pm.

📅  First Class: Tuesday, January 21, 2025

👉  Explore classes and register here.

 

🍎  Learn about cooking, budgeting, exercising, and family health in this six-week hands-on series.

📅  Starts: Thursday, January 16, 2025, 11:00 am–12:30 pm (meets biweekly)

🍴    Each class includes free food and goodies to take home!

👉  Sign up here.

 

We’re so excited to grow together in 2025. See you soon!

🌻 Happy Gardening,

Alexandra, Anthony, Blake, and Laura

The Memphis Public Libraries began the Seed Library at Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in 2016 with the help of Memphis Tilth and UT Extension. It's located on the 3rd floor of Central Library and housed in a former card catalog. With donations from the public and funding from Friends of the Library to buy supplemental seeds, the Seed Library functions as a free exchange of seed packets for the Memphis community. Vegetables, flowers, and herbs—simply take what you need, and after your harvest (if possible), donate seeds from your yield. 

 

Check out the Gardening Calendar from UT Extension for an in-depth, day-by-day explanation of when to plant and what to plant.