“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
— adapted quote from Cicero
Spring Growing Season
Beginning March 1, visit Cook Park or Aspen Drive Library to find your joy in the Seed Library. Pick up 3-5 free seed packets during the month of March—while supplies last—and get growing.
No green thumb? No problem! There’s no pressure to return seeds or guarantee a harvest—just dig in, have fun, and see what grows.
- When: March 1-31, while supplies last
- Where: Cook Park Library or Aspen Drive Library Information Desk
- What’s Available: Free flower, herb, fruit, vegetable, and native seeds, while supplies last; helpful books and brochures
- Limit: 3-5 packets per person
Fall Donation Season
Beginning October 1, visit Cook Park or Aspen Drive Library to donate your flower, herb, fruit, vegetable, and native seeds. These can be taken from your harvest or leftover from commercial seed packets.
- When: October 1–31
- Where: Cook Park Library or Aspen Drive Library Information Desk
- What to Donate: Flower, herb, fruit, vegetable, and native seeds from your garden or commercial companies
- Limit: None; Donate as many seeds as you would like.
If you plan to donate in the fall, please keep the following guidelines in mind when harvesting your seeds.
- Dry and separate your seeds by plant.
- Place seeds into small zipper storage bags or small paper envelopes.
- Label each bag and/or envelope with your name, email, and information such as:
– name (common/scientific)
– variety
– source
– harvest date
– anything else you think is necessary to know for successfully growing them
Please note, we will also be happy to receive prepackaged/store-bought seeds as well, even if you have opened and used some of them. Please include the original packaging if possible, so that we can appropriately identify and describe them for others.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who generously shares their seed harvest each fall. Your donations help our Seed Library grow, giving others the opportunity to start or continue their gardening journey. We appreciate your support!
Questions?
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Daniel Smith at dsmith@cooklib.org or 847-362-2330 x1144.
You may also sign up for our Seed Library email list to receive periodic updates and information.
FAQ
A seed library is a lending library that holds garden seeds instead of books. It is an easy, low-commitment way to try out gardening.
Through the generosity of community members and seed companies, we collected various types of flower, herb, fruit, vegetable, and native seeds.
No! There’s no pressure to bring seeds back or guarantee a harvest—just give it a try and discover the joys of gardening. We will happily accept any seeds that you are able to harvest, though.
Yes! We would be happy to receive prepackaged and store-bought seeds as well, even if you have opened and used some of them. Please include the original packaging if possible so that we can appropriately identify and describe them for others.
We need volunteers to help us sort, label, and package all our seed donations. See our Volunteer Opportunities page for both high school and adult opportunities.