Our goal is to build continuing and lasting connections with our community by offering gardening and seed saving resources. The seeds you borrow from the Live Oak Public Libraries Seed Library are free.
Every effort has been made to make sure that the seeds we have in the Seed Library are open-pollinated or heirloom varieties. This means that seeds saved from these plants will produce the same fruit or vegetable as the parent plant.
When growing to save seeds, please match the seed saving difficulty with your gardening expertise.
Our seeds are divided into two categories: Easy and Advanced
Great for novice growers! These plants are less likely to cross-pollinate with other plants in the same family.
TIP: Stick with one variety of a plant.
These seeds take a little more expertise and energy to save. They are wind and insect pollinated and are more likely to cross-pollinate with other plant varieties. Some may take more than one season to produce seeds.
TIP: Stagger growing times. Separate similar plants by keeping them the recommended distance apart (varies).
We offer seeds to anyone who visits our library. A library card is not required and there is no cost to borrow seeds.
Please document your household name, city of residence, and which seed packets you select by making a note in the checkout binder located next to the seed catalog. This information will be used for statistical purposes only.
The current limit for borrowing seed packets is three (3) packets per month per household. The Seed Library is based on the honor system. We ask that everyone respect this as a shared community resource.
There is no requirement or expectation to return seeds.
To ensure the integrity and quality of the Seed Library, we do not accept unsolicited donations.
We prioritize clean, mature, open-pollinated, or heirloom seeds that are sourced from reputable and known origins. Only these seeds may be used to restock the Seed Library. Seeds of unknown or questionable origin will not be used or distributed.
Our resources are meant to help you learn how to save seeds so that your household may have them for the next growing season.
Try keywords: plant propagation; seeds; seeds harvesting; seeds viability; vegetable seeds
Click on book covers or titles to access resources.
Saving Vegetable Seeds by 
Starting Seeds by 
The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds by 
The Seed Underground by 
What's Wrong with My Vegetable Garden? by 
Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast by 
The Manual of Seed Saving by 
Beginning Seed Saving by 
Saving Seeds by 
| Title | Alternative Title | Sun / Shade | Open-pollinated | Heirloom | Organic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce - Lettuce Mix | Lactuca sativa | full / part sun | yes | no | yes |
| Broccoli, Di Ciccio | Brassica oleracea | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Carrot, Tendersweet | Daucus carota | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Kale, Vates-Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch | Brassica oleracea | full / part sun | yes | no | yes |
| Radish, French Breakfast | Raphanus sativus | full / part sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Snap Pea, Sugar Daddy | Pisum sativum | full sun | yes | no | yes |
| Spinach, Bloomsdale Long Standing | Spinacia oleracea | full / part sun | yes | yes | no |
| Parsnip, Hollow Crown | Pastinaca sativa | full sun | yes | yes | no |
| Swiss Chard - Rainbow Blend | Beta vulgaris | full / part sun | |||
| Mustard Greens - Southern Giant Curled | Brassica juncea | full / part sun | yes | yes | no |
| Turnip - Purple Top White Globe | Brassica rapa | full sun | yes | ||
| Onion - Red Creole | Allium cepa | full sun | yes | no | no |
| Cover Crop - Fall Cover Mix | |||||
| Flower Mixes - Bee Feed Mix | |||||
| Flower Mixes - Hummingbird, Butterfly, Songbird |
| Title | Alternative Title | Sun / Shade | Open-pollinated | Heirloom | Organic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunching Onion - Long White Bunching | Allium cepa | yes | no | no | |
| Beet, Detroit Dark Red | Beta vulgaris | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Broccoli, Di Ciccio | Brassica oleracea | part sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Carrot, Tendersweet | Daucus carota | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Kale, Vates-Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch | full sun | yes | no | yes | |
| Radish, French Breakfast | Raphanus sativus | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Snap Pea, Sugar Daddy | Pisum sativum | full sun | yes | no | yes |
| Spinach, Bloomsdale Long Standing | Spinacia oleracea | full / part sun | yes | yes | yes |
| Parsnip, Hollow Crown | Pastinaca sativa | full sun | yes | yes | yes |
How do I borrow seeds?
The Seed Library is housed at Southwest Chatham Library. We offer our seeds to anyone who visits our library.
There is no requirement or expectation to return seeds.
Do I have to have a library card?
A library card is not required and there is no cost to borrow seeds.
How do I get started at home?
Check out the article Starting Plants from Seed for the Home Gardener from UGA Extension.
Do you take seed donations?
To ensure the integrity and quality of the Seed Library, we do not accept unsolicited donations.
The Seed Library is a part of Live Oak Public Libraries and is housed at Southwest Chatham Library in Savannah.
Southwest Chatham Library
14097 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419
(912) 927-4079
This program is supported in part by a grant to the Georgia Public Library Service from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act.
Special thanks to Chatham County Extension and Master Gardener Extension Volunteers for providing gardening education to our community and for their support in launching the Seed Library.