November 2023
The annual meeting of WORRV chapter will be held at the Cherry Valley Public Library on Thursday, November 16th starting at 6:00 p.m. We will have reports from our officers and a special program about starting a native seed library at the Rockford Public Library. We will also have our seed exchange starting at 6:00 p.m. Information about preparing and packaging your seeds is below. Snacks will be provided.
The Rockford Public Library Hart Branch opened its free Seed Library in May of this year. The library is looking to further expand its offerings to include more native seeds. As you prepare your seeds this fall, please consider setting some aside for the RPL Seed Library. Easy-to-grow natives are particularly desired – good options include milkweed varieties, Joe-pye weed, echinacea, and wild bergamot.
If you have seeds you’d like to share with the RPL Seed Library, you can fill a coin envelope with 10-20 seeds (one variety per envelope, please). Label the envelope with the common name, scientific name, and any other pertinent information (plant height, sun requirements, etc.). There will be coin envelopes available at the meeting for this purpose.
We often have lots of seeds so if you are new to this and don’t have any seeds to share, you are still welcome to join us and take seeds home. Sharing seeds increases the opportunity for more native plants to grow in our communities. Come help us celebrate another successful year of native landscaping!
Seed Exchange Instructions: Collect seeds from native plants in your yard or landscape project. If possible, separate the seeds/seed heads from the excess plant material and put single-species seeds in their own envelopes, baggies, or paper bags (lunch bags work great). Add a label with both the common name and scientific name (check online or in a seed catalog), place of origin (e.g. Winnebago County, Wild Ones plant sale, or another source), and your name (in case anyone has questions, such as “how does the plant grow?”).