Ready to dig in and try your hand at growing your own garden? The Ardsley seed library is stocked and open!

Want fresh veggies on your summer table?  Come grab a packet of vegetable seeds.  Interested in making your yard into a bee and bird-friendly habitat?  Pick a variety of pollinator seeds and watch your garden grow.  

How Does it Work?

  1. Come to the library to see what seeds are available.
  2. Request the seeds you are interested in from the librarian.
  3. Take a maximum of 4 seed packets per person. No due date here. The seeds are yours to keep and plant!
  4. Each packet will have between 5-10 seeds, depending on germination rates.
  5. Go home, plant your seeds in a sunny spot, and watch your garden grow!

What Plants Can I Grow?

We are launching our seed library with a mix of pollinator-friendly plants, native perennials and vegetables. Below is a list of what you can expect for Spring 2026 (subject to availability).

​Sun, water, and soil are the ingredients you need to grow seeds. Here are links that will help you get a good start in planting:
  • Cosmos
  • Dwarf Prairie Coreopsis
  • Marigolds
  • Zinnias
  • Green Beans
  • Basil
  • Cucumber
  • Tomatoes
  • Zucchini
  • Corn
In coming years, expect a wider selection of native species to help support the local environment. Read more about why growing native plants is important: ​https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Why-Native

How to Plant Your Seeds

Green Beans – https://www.almanac.com/plant/beans
Cucumbers - https://www.almanac.com/plant/cucumbers
Zucchini - https://www.almanac.com/plant/zucchini
Basil - https://www.almanac.com/plant/basil
Tomatoes (late start, by Mid-May) - https://www.almanac.com/plant/zinnias


Cosmos - https://www.almanac.com/plant/cosmos
Dwarf Prairie Coreopsis - https://www.almanac.com/plant/coreopsis
Marigolds - https://www.almanac.com/plant/marigolds
Zinnias - https://www.almanac.com/plant/zinnias

Resources

Useful tools to start:
• garden trowel          • watering can        • good soil
• gardening gloves    • seed trays (if starting indoors)

Why grow a pollinator garden:  https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs/peoples-garden/importance-pollinators
What is a native garden?  https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Why-Native
Beginners guide for planting seeds directly in the soil.  https://www.almanac.com/direct-sowing-made-easy-beginners-guide-planting-seeds-outdoors
Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center ​https://www.wildflower.org/collections/

Helpful Terms:

Annual – Plants that grow for one season
Days to maturity – The time it takes for a seed to become a plant that bears fruit or blooms
Germination – The time it takes a seed to grow into a small seedling.
Native plants - Indigenous species that  adapted to a specific region.  They support other plants and animals and help keep their local ecosystemt stable (https://www.westchestercountyny.gov/native-plants)
Perennial – Plants that come back every season
Pollinator – Wildlife responsible for pollinating plants (birds, insects and animals) 
Seedling – A young plantAnnual – Plants that grow for one season
Days to maturity – The time it takes for a seed to become a plant that bears fruit or blooms
Germination – The time it takes a seed to grow into a small seedling.
Native plants - Indigenous species that  adapted to a specific region.  They support other plants and animals and help keep their local ecosystemt stable (https://www.westchestercountyny.gov/native-plants)
book in garden that's dirty
picture of gardening books on shelf
​pollinators (butterfly + bees)
https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Why-Native
https://www.wildflower.org/
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/
​https://www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx