In short, I wanted to provide an easy opportunity for community members to experience the joy of gardening. In the autumn of 2024 I opened a Seed Share project in my front yard, filled mostly with flower seeds I had gathered from my garden along with several packets of vegetable seeds donated by friends and family. The premise of the Share box is simple: It is free; if you want seeds, take what you need; and if you have viable seeds that are no longer needed, please donate them to the box.
From the Share box's opening in August 2024 until closing for the season in November, a total of 155 packets of seeds were distributed to community members via the Seed Share box. Over the course of 2025, 454 packets were picked up by interested gardeners. I have a good feeling that 2026 will be even more successful.
I hope to provide community members a low-risk way to try gardening; and for already established gardeners, a chance to try growing something new. I want to create a space where people can strike up a conversation with a stranger while looking through the Seed Share inventory - ask questions and share advice. My dog and I spend a lot of afternoons working or just sitting in the front yard and have witnessed and taken part in many positive interactions. I have watched families browsing through the box, talking about various seeds available and have spoken to many young people with a keen interest in growing their own plants. This brings me joy.
I know how important gardening is to my mental health and my hope is that others can benefit in that way from this hobby. Gardening provides a wonderful opportunity to be creative and instills a sense of pride from nurturing a living organism into a beautiful flower patch or a delicious tomato for lunch. A sense of self-sufficiency is important and this project is a step towards that.
One of my favorite aspects of the Seed Share has been the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and provide encouragement to try their hand at gardening. This project gives me an additional purpose in my retirement.