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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Archives: Plant Answer Line Q & A

Plant Answer Line questions and answers.

Seed libraries in Seattle

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.

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on growing heirloom fruit varieties

I am interested in planting fruit trees on our treeless property. Can you recommend any sources of bare-root heirloom fruit varieties grafted onto modern rootstocks? Or do people who grow heirloom fruits usually use the old rootstocks, too?

I am also interested in finding a descriptive list of how different heirlooms taste, how difficult their pests are to control, and how they do in our region (Puget Sound).

 

Below are some suggestions:

1. WSU’s fruit research station in Mt. Vernon is the best place to learn about history, grafting rootstocks, varieties, etc. Here is an article from the spring 2013 issue of WSU’s Washington State Magazine on heirloom apples.

2. There is an event in early October at Cloud Mountain Farm in Everson, Washington. They have a fruit festival where you can taste the fruits and talk with experts.

3. An outstanding book you will probably want to buy (or come to the library to review it first) is Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory, 4th edition, An Inventory of Nursery Catalogs Listing All Fruit, Berry and Nut Varieties Available by Mail Order in the United States. Edited by Ken Whealy, 2009.

We also have many other excellent reference sources about growing tree fruit.

4. You might consider joining the Western Cascade Fruit Society or the Seattle Tree Fruit Society. They offer courses and events, and are very knowledgeable.

5. The staff at Raintree Nursery near Morton, WA offer a wealth of information about what grows well in the Pacific Northwest, best rootstocks, etc.