A seed library lends or shares seed. The Port Colborne Public Library's Seed Library began in 2018 and provides quality heirloom seeds to the citizens of Port Colborne. We carry both vegetable and herb seeds. Some seeds have more than one variety.

Our seed collection

Browse our collection of open-pollinated seeds and take home the varieties that interest you. Grow your plants through the summer. In the fall, save some seeds for us and share them with your library so we can start the cycle all over again.

 Seeds in our collection
  • Bush bean - Gold Rush (yellow)
  • Bush bean - Ferrari (green)
  • Bush bean - Royal Burgundy
  • Beets - Early Wonder Tall Top
  • Carrots - Little Fingers
  • Chives
  • Coriander
  • Cucumber - Marketmore 76
  • Corn - Buhl Sweet
  • Dill
  • Dwarf Green Kale
  • Fennel
  • Garlic Bulbils
  • Lettuce
  • Milkweed
  • Oregano
  • Peas
  • Peppers - Cali Wonder
  • Peppers - Sweet Banana
  • Pole bean - Cherokee Trail of Tears (green)
  • Pole bean  - Kentucky Wonder Wax (yellow)
  • Pumpkins - Connecticut Field
  • Pumpkins - SugarPie
  • Radishes - Rivoli
  • Sage
  • Sunflower - Giganteus
  • Squash - Delicata
  • Squash - Winter - Table Queen
  • Turnips - Purple Top White Globe
  • Turnips - Golden Globe
  • Watermelon
  • Winter Melon - Juanne Canary
  • Zucchini - Black Beauty

Returning seeds

You can return or donate heirloom seeds by following these easy steps:

  1. Collect seeds from your ripe heirloom vegetables.
  2. When dry, put the seeds into a container and label with the seed variety and year.
  3. Drop off your seeds to the library.

We will add them to the collection so that people can check them out next year.

Test garden

We grow a variety of plants each year in our test garden. We allow the plants to mature, then we harvest the fruit, and save the seeds to return to our collection.

Seed library activities

We love to share gardening tips and tricks in programs and activities. See what's happening for upcoming events.

Seed library partnerships

We donate a variety of plants each year to local community gardens. Our partnerships encourage our community to grow their own food, support a love of gardening, and enjoyment of fresh food.