The Eckerd College Seed Library collects, stores, and shares seeds with members of the community for free. It is located on the first floor of the Eckerd Library underneath the main stairwell.
The Eckerd College Seed Library provides vegetable, ornamental, and wildflower seeds to members of the community and serves as a repository for locally adapted seeds. Seeds are available for many vegetables and herbs suited for the spring and summer growing seasons, as well as numerous Florida wildflower seeds that can be used to start butterfly gardens and attract pollinators. Seeds have come from a variety of places including regional seed companies, librarians, staff, and faculty. This is a self-service collection where individuals can borrow up to three seed packets at a time. Seeds do not need to be returned, but some individuals might choose to give back to the collection by saving seeds from the plants they grow and donating them back to the collection.
To learn more about how the Eckerd Seed Library works, visit the What Is A Seed Library? page.
To view more information about specific plants in our collection, visit the Plant Profiles page.
To find more resources to support the development of your garden, visit the Gardening Resources page.
The Eckerd Seed Library was initially funded through an ASPEC Intergenerational Learning Grant in 2021, and is maintained through seed donations to the library.
Seed Library News
Seed Saving Workshop
Wednesday, November 8 from 4 - 5 p.m. featuring Melissa DeSa of Working Food
Join us to learn more about seed saving techniques and be sure to stay for Melissa DeSa's talk at 6 p.m.
Fall 2023 Season
Fall Seeds in the Eckerd Seed Library
We are excited to share our fall supply of seeds with the Eckerd community! This year, we have seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Company, Asian Garden 2 Table, and our first set of seeds from the Eckerd Community Farm. Check out our seed catalog for the 100+ varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for your garden.
If you have extra seed packets or locally harvested seeds from your garden, consider donating them to the seed library to share with others. Donation forms are located in the seed library.
Many thanks to our summer seed library intern, Isobel Morton for prepping seeds for the fall.
Past events:
Grand Opening
The Seed Library is now open! Come check out some seeds.
Seeds at Sunset - UPDATE!
Due to guidance to avoid group gatherings, even if social distancing is observed, the Seeds at Sunset event will now be a grab-and-go DIY kit activity.
To allow us time to safely assemble the kits, they will be available for pickup in front of the library beginning Friday, April 23, at 2pm. Kits will be available until they are gone. If you registered for the event, we will hold a kit especially for you - please look for an email containing more details.
The kits will include everything you need to plant your seed and paint your pot, along with a few extra goodies!
The Triton melon, a hybrid seed developed by EarthWork Seeds in collaboration with Prof. Liza Conrad and her students in Biology.
Triton Melon Growing Challenge
The Triton Melon Growing Challenge invites novice and experienced gardeners to grow their very own Triton melon over the summer. Sign-up to participate using the link below and we will share Triton melon seeds before the spring planting season ends. Participants should track their progress and plan to share results to compare final melon weights, vine lengths, and offer growing tips for future growers.
Sign-up for the growing challenge is now closed. More details to be shared with those who sign up to participate.
Find out more about the Triton melon:
How Eckerd College helped build a more perfect cantaloupe (Tampa Bay Times, October 2019)
New Triton Canteloupe Development Nearly Complete (Eckerd News, April 2019)
For general information about growing melons, see our Melon Plant Profile.
Grow Your Own Way with the Eckerd Seed Library
Are you ready to have your first houseplant or test out your gardening skills? Drop by the Eckerd Library to pick up some seeds and easy to grow starter plants for your dorm room! There will be a variety of plants and seeds to choose from, and you can learn more about Eckerd’s Seed Library.
Monday, August 21, 2023
Noon - 1 p.m.
Who We Are
Many thanks to the following students, work scholars, librarians, faculty, and staff who have helped advise and develop this project. We look forward to seeing the collection grow! For questions about the Seed Library, email seedlibrary@eckerd.edu.
Seed Library Oversight
Nancy Schuler
Seed Library Work Scholars
Isobel Morton
Kiara Williams
Zee Holtz
Faculty & Staff Advisors
Dave Himmelfarb
Tonia Krueger
Maggie jensen