Starting a Vegetable Garden? Consider a Seed Swap

April 10, 2025 | , ,

NTFB’s Garden Specialist says not to overlook sharing seeds as you expand your craft.

Ask any gardener and they can tell you that seeds can be expensive! Whether you are a beginner or master gardener who is looking for free seeds, you are in luck. There are a few Seed Swaps that happen throughout the year by local community gardens, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. If you’re unfamiliar with what a Seed Swap is, it is a gathering of people, usually gardeners and farmers, who have come together to share seeds. Farmers and home gardeners have been saving and sharing seeds with each other for thousands of years. Although this tradition has been largely dwindling over the past 100 years, reasons to start saving and sharing seeds again in our communities include: 

  • To develop plant varieties that are uniquely adapted to our local climate and growing conditions 
  • To increase agricultural biodiversity 
  • To ensure the resilience of our food supply 
  • To become more self-sufficient as individuals and a community  

In addition to Seed Swap events, most cities around North Texas have stand-alone publicly funded and community-led seed libraries that are open year-round where neighbors can freely contribute seeds and take what they need. These seed libraries are maintained by the city or by individuals and businesses. To find local community-based seed libraries, you can research and join “Take a Plant, Leave a Plant” community groups on Facebook and other popular social platforms. More information about free seeds at Dallas Public Library is provided below.  

Free Seeds at the Dallas Public Library 

There is a circulating collection of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds at the Dallas Public Library at various locations: 

Central Library, 6th Floor 
Forest Green Branch 
Hampton-Illinois Branch 
Highland Hills Branch 
Kleberg-Riley Branch 
Lakewood Branch 
Lochwood Branch 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch 
Mountain Creek Branch 
Oak Lawn Branch 
Preston Royal Branch 
Renner Frankford Branch 
Skyline Branch 
Vickery Park Branch 
White Rock Hills Branch 

Be sure to sign up for the Seed Library Newsletter to learn about upcoming events and resources! Click here, scroll down to DPL topics, select Seed Library, and fill in your information. 

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