Do you know of any plant and seed-sharing sites where I might find some peonies, for example? Or where I might post some stuff I have no place for?
Most reliable seed exchange programs require membership, but . . .
PEONIES:
If you are interested specifically in peony seeds, the American Peony Society and the Canadian Peony Society are excellent sources.
You might also consider contacting the Pacific Northwest Peony Society. They are fairly new (est. 1996) and might not have a seed exchange yet, but can be helpful with other information.
DONATING PLANTS:
There are several places locally that list plants for donation.
Plant Amnesty has an Adopt-a-Plant program.
Also, try the Pacific Northwest Garden Exchange at Houzz.
SEED LIBRARIES:
This is a relatively recent phenomenon and many cities now have such programs. Here are some examples:
King County Seed Lending Library
Northeast Seattle Seed Library
SOCIAL MEDIA:
There are groups on Facebook devoted to plant and seed exchanges. Be aware that not all of them are cautious about excluding aggressive or invasive species.
Are there any seed libraries or seed exchanges in the Seattle area?
Yes, there is the King County Seed Library which currently has several locations:
At the Northeast Seattle Tool Library 2415 NE 80th St Seattle, WA 98115
At the Phinney Neighborhood Center Tool Library 6532 Phinney Ave NE Seattle, WA 98103
Seattle Farm Co-Op 1817 S Jackson Place Seattle, WA 98144
Pickering Garden 1730 10th Avenue NW Issaquah, WA 98027
Hillman City Collaboratory 5623 Rainier Avenue S. Seattle, WA 98118
You might also look out for local celebrations of National Seed Swap Day, which happens on the last Saturday of every January.
The best-known national organization devoted to seed-saving and distribution is the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. Another example is the Hudson Valley Seed Library in New York State. Both of these organizations sell heirloom and unusual seed varieties.
You might see if your local public library (the kind which lends books and other materials) is interested in following the example of Tucson, Arizona’s Pima County Public Library, which maintains a seed exchange.
Some local horticultural organizations have organized seed exchanges among their members, such as the Hardy Plant Society of Washington and the Northwest Perennial Alliance, but these are primarily seeds of ornamental plants. You can also start your own informal exchange by learning about seed-saving and passing along that knowledge (and its fruits–that is, seeds!) to your friends. The Miller Library has many excellent books on saving seeds. You can search the online catalog, using keywords such as ‘seed saving.’You can also check the calendar of plant sales and gardening events that the library maintains, as sometimes there are seed-sharing opportunities posted.
How can I find out about plant exchanges? I also have some plants I want to donate.
There are several places you can go for this information.
Houzz (formerly Garden Web) has a page with Pacific Northwest plant exchange information.
There is a Native Plant Salvage Foundation based in Thurston County through which you might be able to make some contacts or find homes for plants you want to donate. You could also explore the Washington Native Plant Society’s page on native plant sources.
Plant Amnesty has an Adopt-A-Plant program.
Community centers, places of worship, and public schools also appreciate plant donations; contact some in your area and see if they want what you have. People also post plants to share on Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org, or on their local “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook.
The Seattle Times published this article about plant swaps and exchanges.
Finally, various plant societies/gardening organizations have plant exchanges. Here is a link to information about such organizations:
Miller Library’s Organizations List
An organization that encourages seed saving and supports seed saving networking.
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization that saves and shares heirloom seeds and our garden heritage. Members can exchange seeds with each other and the public may purchase seeds directly.
The Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 to preserve rare heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties. Today thousands of members work together to keep old time cultivars from disappearing forever. Members pay $35.00 a year to support the non-profit organization and receive three publications a year, one of which is the 120-page yearbook/catalog. Membership is not required to purchase seeds and tomato transplants from the online catalog, www.seedsavers.org. Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101; (Phone) 563-382-5990.