The Barbara Bass Seed Library is a collection of seeds available for Tyler Public Library patrons to grow at home. This program encourages health and learning by aiding local residents in starting their own garden.

How It Works

Pick Your Seeds: You must have a Tyler Public Library Card. Patrons can take up to 10 packets of seeds per family per year.

Bring Seeds Back: After the season, bring us seeds that you have harvested from your crops to help us replenish the seed collection for other patrons.

What We Offer

Edibles

• Beans, Beets, Broccoli
• Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Chard, Corn, Cucumber
• Herbs, Eggplant, Lettuce
• Onion, Peas, Pepper, Pumpkin
• Radishes, Spinach, Squash
• Tomatoes, Turnip

Ornamentals

We offer different flowers and ornamentals each season, dependent upon what has been brought back and donated.

We currently have a large selection of sunflowers!

Why You Should Use It

Not only can gardening prove to be a great way to combat stress and depression, it is also great for the environment. By growing and using your own crops, you are helping to build a more sustainable future.

Our seed library is a great way to give that bright future to the community!

Recommended Reading

• Seed to seed : seed saving and growing techniques for vegetable gardeners / by Suzanne Ashworth ; edited by Kent Whealy ; photography by David Cavagnaro

• What's wrong with my vegetable garden? : 100% organic solutions for all your vegetables, from artichokes to zucchini / David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth

• The beginner's guide to growing heirloom vegetables : the 100 easiest, most flavorful vegetables for your garden / Marie Iannotti

• The organic kitchen garden / Juliet Roberts

• Growing a farmer : how I learned to live off the land / Kurt Timmermeiste

Local Support

• East Texas Gardening - a Texas A&M page
• Smith County Texas A&M Agrilife
• Smith County Master Gardeners
• East Texas Community Food Coalition (Facebook page)
• East Texas Community Food Coalition
• Friends of the Tyler Public Library

Helpful Links

• Seed Saving Brochure from Adaptive Seeds (can be printed)
• How To Start Seeds from A Way To Garden
• Seed Savers Exchange
• Basic Seed Saving
• Organic Gardening magazine
• Container Gardening
• More Container Gardening
• Growing Calendar
• Old Farmer's Almanac
• Kids Gardening (a National Gardening Assoc. resource)
• Gardening Mentor