Our 16 garden beds, along with our Seed Library, are both managed by our two library gardeners and are intended to promote the joy of gardening and the value of sustainability. Each summer, the beds are used by urban-dwelling families or youth organizations who may not have any garden space in their homes. Our buildings — and garden — were closed due to COVID, but we still wanted to fulfill the mission and spirit of The Plot and Seed Library instead of letting a season go by and go to waste.

Within days of closing, our two staff gardeners digitally catalogued the Seed Library and created an online order system, later compiling orders and mailing out over 700 envelopes of seeds. The seeds were donated by our partner, Wasatch Community Gardens. Our two gardeners also tended the garden beds and grew fresh produce, herbs and salad makings. This produce was then donated to the Women's Resource Center, an emergency shelter to 200 homeless women in and around Salt Lake City per night.

A representative from the Women’s Resource Center expressed sincere appreciation and added that they rarely get donations of fresh vegetables and produce. They even sent us a picture of a lovely lavender mint lemonade made with our donated herbs. In total, we donated over $2,000 of fresh produce. As patrons received their seeds in the mail, they took to Instagram to thank the library and share their appreciation of library services. Patrons from across the country contacted SLCPL to try to get their hands on seeds!