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Seedy Saturday

Seedy Saturday

Our next Seedy Saturday will take place in spring 2025 at our Downtown Library. 

Seedy Saturday is a fun-filled day to connect with amazing gardener, nature and community groups located right here in Simcoe County.

In the meantime, did you know that you can plant native seeds right now? Native seeds have to go through something called "cold stratification" in order to grow, so now is the perfect time to get them started. 
 
For more information on planting native seeds in the winter, watch this video by the City of Barrie and visit Pollinate Barrie for step-by-step resources on winter sowing.

What is Seedy Saturday?

What is Seedy Saturday (and Sundays)? 

"Seedy Saturdays are a remarkable phenomenon. They are not one event, but a series of separate events, which have sprung up across the country, each individually and uniquely organized under the same general themes of encouraging the use of open-pollinated and heritage seeds, enabling a local seed exchange, and educating the public about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices. They usually occur on a Saturday, hence the name, but also occur on Sundays and other days." Source: Seeds of Diversity Canada.

Learn more about Seedy Saturdays on the Seeds of Diversity webpage 'Everything you wanted to know about Seedy Saturdays'.

  • Seeds of Diversity Canada is a group of seed savers from coast to coast who protect Canada's seed biodiversity by growing plants themselves and sharing seeds with others. Find out how you can support seed saving and local distribution. On their website you will find seed saving resources and a list of Canadian Seedy Saturday events. You can find ways to source local and Canadian seeds from area greenhouses or local vendors using their online reference guide, the Canadian Seed Catalogue Index, or find the best locally adapted seeds in your region with The Ecological Seed Finder.

Resources

Gardening

  • Search our Community Information Directory to find gardening groups in Barrie and the surrounding area. 
  • The City of Barrie's Community Garden Program is governed by the Community Garden Policy. There are currently six community gardens in the City of Barrie. The City oversees Barrie’s community garden plots, and residents can either rent an individual plot or participate in a sponsored communal plot. More details can be found on the City's website.
  • Use your library card to access online gardening resources. PressReader offers thousands of magazines to readers, including titles related to gardening, wildlife and environmentalism. Try Creativebug for online tutorials on houseplant care and floral art. 
  • Check out BPL's Gardening Buzz digital tutorials to learn more about beginner gardening. You can also learn about upcoming, in-person gardening-related programs by accessing our Events Calendar. 

Seeds

  • “Borrow" seeds and get your garden growing with the BPL Seed Library, located at all library locations in early spring through early fall, annually. Also, find tips about beginner seeding and reference our seed-specific planting guide.

Explore Nature

Bee City

The City of Barrie is proud to be a member of Bee City!

A bee city is a designation that connects people, places and pollinators.

Barrie has been working with residents and community partners to enhance naturalization and pollinator opportunities for the past two decades. Implementation of the Pesticide Reduction Policy in 2003 and the Council adoption of a Naturalization Policy for all city lands in 2007 were our first steps towards a pollinator healthy community.

To learn more about pollinator initiatives and how to make your yard more friendly for bees and other pollinators, visit the City of Barrie website.

Seed Library

The BPL Seed Library will open again in Spring 2025, and will be available at all library locations.