Library hosts annual plant and seed exchange

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spring planting is upon Strathmore, and the local municipal library is here to get the season started with a bang for the local community. 

The Strathmore Library hosted their annual Plant and Seed Exchange on May 2, inviting the community to swap their botanicals or find a new project for the growing season. 

“It is very straightforward; you bring in your plant, and/or seed, and then you can exchange it for something else that someone has brought in,” said Laura Henderson, assistant library director. “We (were) also accepting donations for if there were extras at the end of the day, so people could just take what was left, and then our board was also doing a seedling fundraiser at the same time in the lobby.”

According to library staff, the annual event has been ongoing for more than 20 years and has only continued to maintain its popularity.

Henderson added the event has continued for so long simply due to the love of the hobby both for library staff, and the local community who never fail to participate. 

“There was sort of an uptick in interest in gardening. A lot of people took it up as a hobby (during the pandemic) and that definitely is reflected,” she said. “A lot of programs, I think, sort of run their course. You run something for a number of years and as the community changes or the need in the community changes, they lose their popularity. But the plant and seed exchange, it really does not have a lull at all. It is always popular.”

Available stock at the library is entirely based on what the surrounding community brings in. However, a number of the library’s staff being passionate about gardening themselves, they tend to bring in some of their cultivations ahead of time, according to Henderson.

Beyond that initial setup, she explained that the free to attend drop-in event tends to run itself. 

Should there be any plants leftover at the conclusion of the event, library staff will keep them on site and watered until an interested community member decides to give the plants their forever home. 

In previous years, the plant and seed exchange has seen upwards of 50 participants, though the library does not tend to keep an official attendance count.

“It’s spring, so everyone is planning their outdoor gardens for sure, so I would say that is the majority of the exchange, but there is always a healthy amount of indoor plants available as well,” added Henderson. “These are plants, particularly the outdoor ones, that are already growing in the community and have the hardiness that they need to be transferred to somebody else’s garden.”