Getting started with gardening at the library

As the temperatures begin to rise and there’s more sunlight, avid gardeners will begin preparing to plant their gardens for the year.

For those unfamiliar with gardening, however, getting started can seem daunting. The Park Hills Public Library is offering resources this time of year to help aspiring gardeners to plant their horticultural roots.

At the beginning of March, the library’s seed library became available to patrons with a valid library card for borrowing.

“We’ve had the seed library for about three years now,” said Library Director Lisa Sisk. “We always open it up the first of March for borrowing. People usually start getting their gardens going and thinking about it then. We have a variety of seeds for different vegetables and flower seeds they can borrow.”

Sisk said since the seeds can not technically be “borrowed,” as they can not be returned after use, patrons are asked to donate seeds at the end of the season to keep the program going.

“We have everything cataloged and everything is broken down by vegetable,” she said. “Different types of tomatoes and different types of lettuces, for example. You check it out and we put it down that you borrowed it. The only thing that we ask is that at the end of the summer, you donate a couple packets of seeds to keep us stocked.”

While the seed library is not overly-used, Sisk said as long as a few patrons borrow from year to year, the library will maintain the program.

In addition to having seeds readily available, the library will also be hosting a program by the St. Francois County Missouri University Extension Office later this month to help newcomers to organic gardening get started.

The program will be held March 27 at 5:30 p.m. and will focus on learning how to begin an organic garden. Sisk said she hopes schedules will allow the extension office to return throughout the summer for other gardening programs to keep budding horticulturalists engaged through the planting season.

The Park Hills Public Library’s seed library, pictured here, is available for patrons with a valid library card.

Jacob Scott is a reporter with the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616 or at jscott@dailyjournalonline.com.