Pick Up Free Seeds for Your Garden from Eight Madison Public Library Locations Beginning March 2

posted March 2, 2026 – 9:30am

MADISON, WI -- Madison Public Library’s popular Garden Seed Giveaway begins today on Monday, March 2 at eight library locations.

Free seeds are available at the following libraries:

Alicia Ashman Library [733 N. High Point Rd]
Goodman South Library [2222 S. Park St]
Hawthorne Library [2707 E Washington Ave]
Lakeview Library [2845 N. Sherman Ave]
Meadowridge Library [5726 Raymond Rd]
Monroe Street Library [1705 Monroe Street]
Pinney Library [516 Cottage Grove Rd]
Sequoya Library [4340 Tokay Blvd]

All libraries (with the exception of Central Library) will offer a variety of flower, herb, and produce seeds for visitors, free of charge. Visitors can stop into participating libraries to pick up seeds while supplies last at each location. Each seed packet contains 10-15 seeds apiece and can be put to use in a home garden or in a community garden plot around town. Library staff encourage visitors to take as many seeds as they plan to use, and a library card isn’t required to enjoy the Seed Library. However, once seeds are gone, they won’t be restocked until winter when the library transitions its collection to feature native Wisconsin plant seeds.

In 2025, we gave away 54,108 individual seed packets during the garden seed giveaway—that's 15.3% more than what we distributed in 2024. Year-over-year we continue to see an increase in demand for seeds, and we’re happy to provide this valuable resource.

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Hannah Majeska, Community Engagement Librarian leading the Seed Library Initiative at Madison Public Library

In 2026, approximately 50 different species of seeds will be available and each year librarians modify their ordering based on both public feedback and observation. For instance, flowers and herbs have been consistently popular across locations, and so there will be more of each offered this year.

Types of Seeds Available

Vegetables: Bean, Beet, Broccoli, Carrot, Collard, Corn, Cucumber, Kale, Lettuce, Onion, Pea, Pepper, Pumpkin, Radish, Shallot, Soybean, Spinach, Squash, Tomatillo, Tomato, Zucchini
Fruit: Cantaloupe, Watermelon
Flowers: Bachelor Buttons, Cat Grass, Catnip, Chamomile, Cosmos, Marigold, Nasturtium, Pansy, Sunflower, Zinnia
Herbs & Others: Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Garlic Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage

Offerings will vary by location.

The benefits of learning to grow your own seeds are bountiful and have ripple effects. Gardening is a mindful activity that encourages folks to get outdoors and connect with nature, which benefits mental wellbeing. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables supports physical health, and growing your own food promotes food security.

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Hannah Majeska, Community Engagement Librarian

Volunteer to Package Seeds

The community has also shown its support for the Seed Library through volunteering. The library began offering volunteer seed packaging events three years ago and they have become an annual tradition where community members gather to package the seeds from bulk, talk about gardening with their neighbors and library staff, and prepare for the upcoming growing season.

Upcoming Events:

Learn more about Madison Public Library's Seed Library and access additional resources like gardening booklists online at madpl.org/seedlibrary.

About Madison Public Library

With more than 1.4 million annual visitors across nine library locations each year, Madison Public Library’s tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for 150 years. Visit the library online at www.madisonpubliclibrary.org and @madisonpubliclibrary on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Seed Library
Madison Public Library’s Seed Library began in 2014 as part of a larger county-wide initiative. After the initial grant funding ran out for the county-based program, the Library continued to fund it through the Friends of Madison Public Library and Madison Public Library Foundation. Today, the Seed Library takes place in two phases each year, distributing more than 55,000 seed packets:
- Native Seed Giveaway (December – March or while supplies last)
- Garden Seed Giveaway (March – June or while supplies last)
Learn more about the Seed Library at madpl.org/seedlibrary