Seed Library Garden Club Newsletter – February 2025

Happy seed starting season everyone! With just 6 weeks until our last frost date here in Memphis, it’s time to get that spring garden planned and seeds started. Check out the Old Farmer’s Almanac planting calendar to see when you should start seeds indoors and out! A copy will always be available at the "stocked-for-the-season" Seed Library for consultation too. 

Speaking of the Seed Library, we want to thank everyone who came out to our first programs of the year, each one was full of incredibly friendly, thoughtful people, and we couldn’t be happier to have met all of you. Whether you’re one of the 34(!) people who joined us for the Garden Club Kick-Off, a natural-born artist attending our Colorcopia program, or an inspired chef-to-be sharing tips and ideas with the rest of us in Eat Smart Move More, we hope to see you at the next one!  

Of course, we have to thank all of you and our amazing community partners for making the Seed Swap a huge success! Counting in at 160 people trading, learning, and sharing, we were thrilled to have such an amazing presence in our library. We hope everyone went home feeling inspired to garden this year and loaded up with seeds from each other and the Memphis growing community. We know we all did! Learn more about everyone you met and help us give a special thanks to: Friends of the Library, Everbloom Farmacy, AOVS Urban Farm Volunteer (and Master Gardener) Chuck Page, Memphis Botanic Garden, Experience Memphis Gardens, Memphis Native Tree Works and Works Urban Farm, Germantown Community Seed Library, Memphis City Beautiful, Lichterman Nature Center, Garden of Deeden, and the UTAg Extention Office. Thank you for joining us and making this our biggest year yet! 

📅  When: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 
🕔 Time: 5:00–6:30 pm 
📍   Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3rd Floor Reading Area 
At our Garden Club Meeting, we’ll: 

• Learn from experienced home gardener and youtuber Duana Cressy! 
• Creative seed starting ideas, planting time tips, and preparing your beds for spring.
• Check in with each other and learn what everyone else is doing this Seed Start season!
• Enjoy snacks and drinks while learning about all the amazing programming to come. 

📢 Save the Date! We Meet Every Second Wednesday of the Month, 5:00-6:30! 
👉 Register here to join us! 

Colorcopia Nature-Inspired Art Classes 
🎨 Partnering with the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, these classes meet every third Tuesday from 1–2 pm. 
📅 Next Class: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 
👉 Explore classes and register here. 

Eat Smart and Move More: Eating Smart at Home 
🍎 Learn about cooking, budgeting, exercising, and family health in this six-week hands-on series. 
📅 Next Class: Thursday, February 13, 2025, 11:00 am–12:30 pm (meets biweekly) 
Reminder, we’re meeting in Meeting Room C on the 1st Floor February 13th! 
🍴 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.