What Is a Plant Library…and How to Start One
A gentle how-to for spreading green joy in your neighborhood
A place where you can borrow a tomato seedling the way you'd borrow a book. Where cuttings, starts, seeds, and soil knowledge are passed from hand to hand. Freely, locally, and with love. That’s a plant library.
A plant library is a community-powered exchange where people can give and take plants, seeds, extra backyard harvests, and sometimes even homemade compost or soil amendments. No money, no gatekeeping; just a shared commitment to helping things grow.
Why Start One?
Because it’s fun. Because the world needs more delight without strings attached. Because plants shouldn’t be a luxury. Because there’s beauty in abundance. Because we already have what we need when we share it.
Whether it’s a bookshelf in front of your house, a sidewalk crate labeled “Free Starts,” or a dedicated cart at a community center, small gestures bloom big change.
Want to spread to joy to more? We’re fundraising for a Mobile Plant Library to bring free garden goods to more people!
sweet & simple
How to Start Your Own:
Pick a Spot: Porch, driveway, fence, school, garden… anywhere visible and accessible.
Set the Tone: Use a sign or chalkboard to explain it’s a free swap.
Stock It (Lightly): A few seedlings, cuttings, or labeled seed packets is plenty to begin.
Invite Community: Post to local groups, talk to neighbors, leave a note at the coffee shop. Let it spread by word of mouth. Or just delight at people who happen to walk by, no outreach needed.
Keep It Low-Key: Some weeks it’ll be full, some weeks it won’t. Let it ebb and flow like the seasons.
Like to DIY?
Find old pots at the recycling center or side of the street, give them a fresh coat of paint, fill them with dirt and a clipping—and voilà: an upcycled plant gift. Got a spider plant that keeps popping out offspring? Stick one in a jar and leave it out for someone to take. You never know what might spark someone's green journey.
Obsessed with propagating? Take your talents to the community. The world needs more crazy plant people.
This is about joy, not perfection. About letting plants (and people) find their way to the right conditions. Start messy. Start small. Start something.
And if you do? Let me know—I’d love to share your plant library story here.
