Gardeners of all levels, from the curious to the expert, are invited to attend the third annual Seed Swap at the Lynnwood Library from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, March 2. The drop-in event is fun, free and requires no advance registration.

A seed swap is a no-cost way to exchange seeds and gardening know-how with other community members. “This is a great opportunity to learn about gardening and growing more of your own food, whether in a pot on a balcony or on your urban lot,” said swap founder Marni Swart, a Lynnwood-based certified sustainable urban agriculturist, garden coach, edible garden designer and owner of Growing Roots Together.  

“We will have several gardening door prizes to give away, including five $20 gift cards to Ace Hardware, and native plants donated by the Snohomish Conservation District,” Swart said. Swappers can also bring gardening-related items to share and swap, like gardening books and magazines, tools, pots and plants.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to bring items to swap. “We will have lots of valuable resources and learning materials, plus volunteers on hand to answer gardening questions,” Swart said. “We want to increase access to seeds and learning resources so that everyone has the opportunity to grow a vegetable garden.” 

“We love offering these kinds of low-barrier gardening events to the community because it makes gardening accessible to all kinds of people, not just homeowners,” said Lynnwood librarian and co-organizer Julia McConnell. “You don’t need a lot of space or a lot of money to start growing plants. I think even a small gardening project can foster an interest in nature, the environment, and an awareness of where our food comes from.”

Tips for attendees: 

– Bring a way to safely transport tiny seeds home in a clean, dry container – envelopes, jars and pill bottles work well.

– If donating home-saved seed, please winnow and clean off the stems or stalks as much as possible and bring only the seed.

– All shared seed should be fresh, within three years of purchase or saving.

– Label all seed donations with seed type, variety if known, and year it was grown/saved.

“Thanks to the Lynnwood Library for hosting and to the Friends of the Lynnwood Library for sponsoring this wonderful community event,” Swart said. “And a special thanks to all of the volunteers who make this event happen!”

Swart and McConnell would like to express gratitude to the following organizations for their generous donations of seeds for this event: Ace Hardware in Lynnwood, Alderwood Gardening Club, Baker Creek/Rare Seeds, Grow Organic, Hume Seeds, PCC Markets, Seed Savers Exchange, Sky Nursery, Snohomish Conservation District, Sunnyside Nursery, Swanson’s Nursery and Territorial Seeds.