The seed library movement has taken root in the Hunter, with Newcastle and Lake Macquarie libraries branching out into art.

A seed library is a hub where anyone from the community can donate or withdraw seeds, often run through the public library system.

Both programs are going from strength to strength, and are being celebrated and promoted with two art exhibitions at Newcastle City Library.

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits is an exhibition by award-winning photographer Levon Biss of carpological photography created in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh.

Alongside Biss’ work is the family-friendly companion exhibition Seed Pod, which includes a seed library outlet and hands-on activities.

The seed is sown

The practice of saving seeds has existed for hundreds of years, but the modern seed library movement only began to gain traction in the last decade.

The idea of starting a seed library was floated to the community in 2019, and began at the end of 2020 after Covid restrictions were loosened.

Christina Robberds, a library worker and passionate gardener, was tasked with getting the project off the ground.

Ms Robberds explained that the seed library was initially trialled at the Wallsend branch.

“The way the Newcastle Seed Library works is that the community donate the seeds, volunteers pack them, and then I distribute those seeds to a number of seed library outlets,” Ms Robberds said.

The library now has outlets at the digital library and Lambton branches, with an additional temporary outlet at Newcastle City Library.

Ms Robberds said that the library’s early success was due to the Covid lockdowns, when many people took up gardening as a hobby.

“There was a real explosion of interest in gardening, because people were stuck at home,” Ms Robberds said.

“They needed to find things to do! It wasn’t so easy to get to the shops to buy food, and so the idea of growing your own food is really empowering, because you’ve got control of that.”

Environmental benefits

The library brings ecological benefits. Because they are sourced from the local area, the seeds are more resilient to the soil and local weather conditions.

Anna Moon is a strong believer in the seed libraries’ impact on the environment.

She runs the Lake Macquarie Seed Library as a part of the Groundswell Collective, an ecological not-for-profit organisation.

“The seeds in the library do better than the ones that people buy,” Ms Moon said.

After the Varroa Mite parasites ravaged the local bee population, plants that rely on bee pollination came under threat.

So, the seed libraries have taken up the task of protecting pollinator populations.

“They’ve done a lot of work re-introducing pollinator seeds post-Varroa Mite,” Ms Moon said.

The Groundswell Collective runs the Lake Macquarie seed library, which differs from the library-operated model of Newcastle.

As neighbouring projects they often work together, both recently participating in the “Seeds of resistance” panel for the opening of the Seed Pod exhibition.

Building community

Beyond benefiting the environment, the seed libraries have allowed local gardeners to form communities around the seed-sharing process.

‘Seed pack and chats’, the meetings where volunteers pack seeds, have proven particularly effective in providing a space for people to form connections.

“I call it a seed pack and chat because people aren’t just doing a task, they’re connecting as members of the community and sharing stories,” Ms Robberds said.

Normally held at the Wallsend branch, pack and chats are held at the City Library for the duration of the exhibitions.

Both Ms Robberds and Ms Moon have found interacting with the community to be one of the most rewarding aspects of running a seed library.

“For me, I really enjoy working with the community, working with people, and seeing them get benefit,” Ms Robberds said.

Ms Moon describes her experience as “delightful”.

“We have six branches around the Lake and over 750 members, so I’ve got to meet a lot of people during that time,” Moon said.

Future growth

After the current exhibitions, Ms Robberds has plans to continue building on the program’s success.

While the Lake Macquarie Seed Library is attempting to cover all branches, Newcastle is opting to consolidated its progress.

“With three main seed library outlets [in Newcastle], I think that’s a good capacity,” Ms Robberds said.

“I don’t want to stress the community out, or force them to donate more.”

Next on the agenda are community workshops for members who’ve had long-term involvement with the program.

These would allow veteran members to gain advanced insight into gardening and seed saving.

“I want to build their skills and build their passion for the seed library, so they will keep donating to the seed library and it can continue in that way,” Ms Robberds said.

The workshops are planned for the second half of 2025.

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits exhibition runs until July 26 and Seed pod runs until December 24.