Ramsey Library Native Plant Species Seed Library
Welcome to the Ramsey Library Native Plant Species Seed Library
What is a native plant seed library?
The RPL seed library is a resources where community members can borrow and donate seeds to the Library for free. For donated seeds, we will catalog/package them, and then offer them for free to the community.
You do not need to donate seeds to take seeds out. We encourage borrowers to save seeds at the end of the growing season to donate back to the library, but that is not a requirement.
How does it work?
Borrowing Seeds
Anyone can take seeds from our Seed Library - please just take the amount of seeds you intend to use so as to not waste seeds
Once you take seeds, just take a moment to fill out a borrowing list on our attached clipboard - mark what plant seeds you took, how many packs of each variety you took and the date taken. That’s it :)
Donating Seeds
To donate seeds, use one of our donation envelopes for storing the seeds.
Fill out the label on the envelope to let us know: the plant name(s) you donated, how many seeds you donated, the year the seeds were harvested, if the seeds are organic or not, and your email/contact info in case we need to ask any questions about donated seeds
Use a separate envelope for each plant variety if you are donating more than one plant variety
Close the envelope and drop it in our donation box. That’s it :) We’ll take it from there - catalog, label and add the seeds to the seed library for others to borrow.
Resources on Native Plant Species and Native Plant Species Gardening
Organizations and Websites
The Basics of Native Plants and Resources (pdf) - created by Payton Ashworth
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey - https://npsnj.org/ - statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey. Includes lots of information from plant lists to gardening guides and much more.
Native Plant Society of New Jersey Plant Lists - https://npsnj.org/native-plants/plant-lists/
Going Native Northern NJ (pdf) -https://npsnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Going-Native-Northern.pdf - Created by Jersey Friends Yards,
Jersey Friendly Yards - https://www.jerseyyards.org/ - JerseyYards.org was developed by the Barnegat Bay Partnership with a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Pollinator Pathways - https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/
Community Pollinator Pathway projects are organized by volunteers from town conservation organizations (listed on each town's page) working together to establish pollinator-friendly habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife along a series of continuous corridors.
Video Guides:
Native Gardening 101: Supporting Pollinators - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsT7yJEYzi0
The Art & Science of Growing Native Plants from Seed: Why, When and How with Randi Eckel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8WDy_W8Tk&t=3s
Removing Invasive Plants from Home Landscapes and Reducing Their Spread with Michele Bakacs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcdMsIGFCVo&t=1s
The Ramsey Library Seed Bank was created by Ramsey Girl Scout Payton Ashworth in 2025, in partnership with the Ramsey Public Library, Ramsey Environmental Commission and with guidance from the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.