Swapping and Sowing Seeds this Winter!
by LeAnn Kunz
It is time to think about gardening! Wait, you are saying, it is winter in Iowa. Yes, it is winter in Iowa and we want the community to swap some seeds to build your inventory for spring and teach you some winter sowing techniques. The library and P.L.A.N.T. (People Learning and Nurturing Together) are sponsoring a Seed Swap event on National Seed Swap Day, Saturday, January 31, from 9 am to 12:30 pm at the Washington Public Library. P.L.A.N.T. is a non-profit that brings together volunteers, rental gardeners and visitors, creating opportunities for hands-on learning and relationship building. The organization’s emphasis on accessibility and education helps remove barriers to gardening and encourages participation from people with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. Besides the community garden, P.L.A.N.T. also offers gardening events, including this one with your Washington Public Library. Your and your entire family are invited to come-and-go as you please to swap seeds, share seed stories, color and create plantable seed art, and take a winter sowing workshop.
The main event is the swap and if you have seeds to share, bring them in a labeled container with crop type, variety, and year grown. Also bring extra ziplock bags or seed envelopes for sharing. If you do not have seeds to share, but would like to try or plan to do some gardening, stop in! You are still allowed to pick up some seeds from those available from P.L.A.N.T. and learn about the community garden in Washington and/or find some seeds in the WPL's seed library.
As part of this day we will also offer two Winter Sowing Workshops with Emily Hughes, one at 9:30 am and one at 11 am. Winter sowing combines a low-effort, nature-propelled germination method with an opportunity to recycle common household waste items as mini-greenhouses. This is suitable for beginners and established gardeners alike. In the workshop you will learn how to winter sow seeds. Bring a milkjug. Seeds and soil will be provided.
Register for the Winter Sowing Workshops @ https://washington-ia.whofi.com/calendar/event/5619870?method=embed
In addition, adults and children (those under 12 must be accompanied by an adult) can come and create plantable seed art! Stop in between 9 am and 12:30 pm. You will be coloring then gluing seeds to your piece to create a miniature masterpiece. These are great to display on refrigerators until spring. Then, simply rip up your art, put in the ground, water, and see your masterpiece come to a second life in a few weeks! All supplies provided for this fun activity.
Mark your calendar for this free event sponsored by the Washington Public Library and P.L.A.N.T.
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