The U of T Scarborough Seed Library encourages people to plant and share seeds and promotes community engagement and sustainability by providing the U of T Scarborough community with opportunities to learn about and practice gardening and urban agriculture. It is located on the main floor of the U of T Scarborough Library (across from the washrooms) in the Academic Resource Centre and it is open to the public during the library’s opening hours.
People can come and 'check out' seeds at no charge. Just take what you need and leave the rest for others. Please save some seeds from what you grow and donate them back to the library to keep the cycle going!
Seed Library Life Cycle
Note: Seed supply varies throughout the year, according to the growing cycle.
The Seed Library runs according to the typical* Toronto gardening timeline:
- Seeds are provided in February/March in time for indoor seed starting and outdoor direct sowing
- Users grow their plants over the summer
- Users save some seeds from the plants they grow in August/September to donate back to the Seed Library
- Seed packing happens over fall/winter. Look out for our seed packing workshops!
*Not all gardening follows this timeline. Research the plants you are growing to determine proper growing timing and conditions.
The U of T Scarborough Seed Library was developed in partnership with U of T Scarborough Edible Campus and runs in partnership with the U of T Scarborough Campus Farm.
Check out these resources to learn more about gardening and seed saving!
Books about Seed Saving at U of T Scarborough Library
- The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs
- How to Save Your Own Seeds: A Handbook for Small-Scale Seed Production
- The Manual of Seed Saving: Harvesting, Storing, and Sowing Techniques for Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits
- The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving
- Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
Books about Gardening at U of T Scarborough Library
- Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening
- Small space gardening for Canada
- An Illustrated Guide to Growing Food on Your Balcony
- Balcony Gardening: Growing Herbs and Vegetables in a Small Urban Space
- Container Gardening Complete: Creative Projects for Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Small Spaces
- Canadian Kitchen Garden
- Grow without a garden: 101 plants for containers
- Indoor Kitchen Gardening
- Urban Gardening: How to Grow Food in Any City Apartment or Yard No Matter How Small
- The year-round vegetable gardener: how to grow your own food 365 days a year no matter where you live
- Growing Under Cover: Techniques For A More Productive, Weather-resistant, Pest-free Vegetable Garden
- Permaculture in pots: how to grow food in small urban spaces
- Attracting beneficial bugs to your garden: a natural approach to pest control
Educational Resources
- Seed starting [webinar]
- Breaking new ground: The case for seed libraries in the academic library [journal article]
- Planning for seed saving [blog post]
- 40 reasons to save seeds [blog post]
- Seed saving [list of websites]