Seed Libraries
Grow your garden with free seeds from the Seed Libraries at select New Orleans Public Library locations.
Seed Libraries have seeds for fruits, vegetables, and herbs that grow in New Orleans. Availability may vary. Please visit a location with a Seed Library for current information on seed offerings.
How do I use a seed library?
- Seeds are only available at select locations with Seed Libraries during the Library’s regular hours of operation.
- Seeds are free for New Orleans Public Library cardholders in good standing.
- Library cardholders can borrow 3 packets per day.
- Seeds are available first-come, first-served and cannot be placed on hold.
- Seeds do not need to be returned.
- The Library cannot accept returns or donations of seeds saved from plants grown by neighborhood gardeners. Small donations of packaged store-bought seeds may be accepted.
Seed Library Locations
- Alvar Library
- Cita Dennis Hubbell Library
- East New Orleans Regional Library
- Mid-City Library
- Milton H. Latter Memorial Library
- Nora Navra Library
- Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center
What are you growing?
Show us what you grow! Tag us on Instagram at @nolalibrary or email us your photos at marketing@nolalibrary.org for a chance to be featured in our social media or on our Seed Libraries webpage.
Gardening Recommended Reads
Gardening Resources
Monthly NOLA Planting Guides – Month by month advice on when to transplant, sow, and propagate plants that grow in the New Orleans area by Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter Horticulture Agent.
Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide-This downloadable guide offers a wealth of information and advice tailored to gardeners in north and south Louisiana, including recommended plant varieties, planting dates, and fertilizer recommendations.
Home Gardening Class – This free, self-guided, ten-week online course from the LSU AgCenter Horticulture Agents in the New Orleans area is comprised of weekly videos timed for learning about gardening in Louisiana from June through mid-August. Participants earn a certificate upon completion.
GNO Gardening – GNO Gardening is a free, monthly regional magazine published by the Greater New Orleans Area Horticulture agents. Each month’s issue features articles tailored to the time of year and pertinent to gardening in the greater New Orleans area.
Horticulture Hints – This quarterly newsletter is full of valuable information for Louisiana gardeners. Topics include seasonal gardening tips, pollinator protection, pest and weed management, and more.
Insect Pest Management Guide – This annual guide is compiled by LSU AgCenter experts and includes regulations, precautions and suggestions for pest control in Louisiana. Detailed topics include drift of pesticides, hazards of pesticides to beneficial insects and wildlife, phytotoxicity, use of beneficial insects to control pest populations, and organic gardening.
Plant Disease Management Guide – This guide contains suggestions for management of the most prevalent diseases of Louisiana plants. It includes information on fungicides, bactericides and nematicides, as well as safety precautions for using them.
Chemical Weed Management Guide – This guide includes helpful information on herbicides and weed control with detailed suggestions for aquatics, commercial nursery stock, field crops, forestry, fruit crops, home gardens, lawns, and many other Louisiana crops.
Native Tree Growing Guide – This guide suggests native and well-adapted trees for our region and describes how to grow them successfully, as well as answering some of the most commonly asked questions about tree planting in our area.
Home Composting Class – This free, self-guided course is comprised of ten modules, with video lessons on the benefits of compost, what to compost and what not to compost, and different kinds of composting systems you can implement at home. Participants earn a certificate upon completion.
Louisiana Super Plants – Louisiana Super Plants have a proven track record of performing well in Louisiana landscapes, having gone through several years of university evaluations and observations. This guide includes information on trees, shrubs, and cool and warm season selections.
Seed Catalog
Click on any seed below for a downloadable information packet including sunlight, growing temperatures, and more. Please note that availability may vary based on Library location. Visit a location with a Seed Library for current information on availability.