Gardening and Sustainability Events
Why are trees important to us?
Anne Swaim, Executive Director, Saw Mill River Audubon will present this multimedia Zoom workshop co-sponsored by the Westchester libraries listed below.
Once again Jackie and Crestwood Crew set off for another adventure into the woods off of Read Avenue to declutter the area. Trees and plants need to breathe too!
Disclaimer(s)
Outdoors
This program will be held outdoors.
Celebrate Earth Day with a special planting activity! Recommended for ages 5-12. No registration.
Disclaimer(s)
Acknowledgment: Con Edison
This program is made possible through generous support from Con Edison.
Learn to work with plants, and help the environment. Share your passion for the environment with others, and have fun with other students while doing something positive. Earn Community Service Credit for School.
Arbor Day sets out to not only celebrate trees, but to educate us on the importance of breathing clean air. Why? Because trees provide us with oxygen and reduce soil erosion, and the list goes on.
Disclaimer(s)
Acknowledgment: Con Edison
This program is made possible through generous support from Con Edison.
Share your food memories!
Help us tell the story of Yonkers through gardening, feasting, cooking and celebrating. We’ll add them to YPL’s digital archives!
- Use this form to upload pictures or share scans of your treasured recipes.
- If you’d prefer to share on paper, grab a paper form at a library branch.
- We can also help you digitally scan images or recipes; just visit us at any reference desk.
- You can also email your memories, photos, and recipes to history@ypl.org.
We’re Live! The YPL Seed Library is back for 2025!
Spring is here, and it's time to start your indoor garden! Thanks to the generous support of Con Edison, we're excited to continue bringing you free organic and native seeds to help you grow fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
Start your seeds indoors! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, we have a variety of seeds like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and more to kick off your growing season.
Our Spring Batch is available, featuring a variety of seeds to get your garden growing now:
Pepperoncini Greek Golden Pepper | Sweet Banana Hungarian Pepper | Jalapeño Pepper| Red Habanero Hot Pepper | California Wonder Pepper| Riesentraube Cherry Tomato | Purple Cherokee Tomato | Ground Cherry | Carrot Davners 126 | Beet Bull's Blood | Chives Herb | Long Purple Eggplant | Tomatillo Verde | Snap Pea Sugar Daddy | Radish Summer Cherry Belle | Cosmo Sensation Mix
Let’s make planting even more fun! Use our Seeds Across America Map to tell us where you’re from, what are you planting and share your gardening story!
Acknowledgments
The YPL Seed Library is made possible through generous support from Con Edison.
About the YPL Seed Library
During growing season you can find seed catalogs on the main floor at Crestwood, the Fine Arts section at the Will Library, and the third floor at Riverfront!
- Borrow: Collect up to four (4) seed packets of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
- Grow: Take photos of your sprouting seeds and tag us with #yplseedlibrary.
- Share: SHARE photos of your sprouting seeds and/or recipe of your harvested crops on social media. Tag us in any photos you upload and use the hashtag #yplseedlibrary or email to seedlibrary@ypl.org.
Supported with generous donations from Con Edison. Additional seed packets were provided by The Chas C. Hart Seed Company.
Seeds We've "Loaned" Throughout Yonkers
Our Winter Batch is still available, featuring a variety of seeds to get your garden growing now:
California Poppy | True Lavender | Purple Coneflower | Chamomile | Catnip | St. John’s Wort | Evergreen Bunching Onion | Spinach | Lacinato Kale | Blue Curled Kale | Oregano | Thyme
History of YPL Seed Library
2021: YPL begins a campaign to improve its grounds with assistance from the Westchester County Board of Legislators. YPL replaces invasive plants and poison ivy at the Will Library with a native pollinator garden.
2022: Will Library and Crestwood Library debuts new accessible, raised bed gardens.
2022: Seed Library established with assistance from Foundation for the Yonkers Public Library (FYPL).
2023-2024: Con Edison generously sponsored Seed Library for the first time.
2024: Con Edison expands its giving to YPL, allowing the Seed Library to grow even further. We distributed over 10,000 packets of organic.
Gardening Books
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Grow. Food. Anywhere.
Grow. Food. Anywhere. is the must-have guide for anyone who has ever had a desire to grow their own food. Authors Mat and Dillon, of the Little Veggie Patch Co. provide a comprehensive and authoritative guide to gardening in any space, all in their own unique and entertaining style. Whether you've got a balcony, a tiny courtyard, or a patch of reclaimed dirt in a shared neighbourhood space, this book offers inspiration - and instruction - for growing good things to eat.
The book has three sections: What Plants Need; Fruit and Veg to Grow; and Pests and Diseases to Know. These chapters cover everything from: why soil matters; composting; how to make a wicking garden; how to select the right growing style; what to plant and when; harvesting; troubleshooting; pruning; and more. Grow. Food. Anywhere. is presented with a combination of photographs, illustrations, and a playful, engaging design that very much mirrors the refreshing no-nonsense approach of the book's two accomplished and articulate young authors, and their thriving gardening business. -
Grow
Discover 15 plants and fungi with life-changing powers and learn how to grow them at home.
Meet their surprising relatives (the tasty tomato is a cousin of deadly nightshade!) and unearth their interesting stories (lettuce was the first plant to be grown in space!). Then follow step-by-step instructions to grow and care for each one, whether you have a big backyard garden or a sunny windowsill.
Written by horticulturalist Riz Reyes and fully illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows, this is the perfect introduction to growing plants for families everywhere.
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How a Seed Grows
How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? This classic Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out picture book shows how little seeds become the plants and trees that surround us.
Now rebranded with a new cover look, this book includes a find out more activity section with a simple experiment encouraging kids to discover what a seed needs to grow. Both text and artwork were expert-reviewed for accuracy.
This is a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.
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Plants Can't Sit Still
Do plants really move? Absolutely!
You might be surprised by all ways plants can move. Plants might not pick up their roots and walk away, but they definitely don't sit still! Discover the many ways plants (and their seeds) move. Whether it's a sunflower, a Venus flytrap, or an exotic plant like an exploding cucumber, this fascinating picture book shows just how excitingly active plants really are.
"With a doctorate in biology, Hirsch understands her subject, but equally important is her ability to communicate with well-chosen words that make the ideas fun and memorable for children.... A new way to see the plants around us."--starred, Booklist
"Colorful, exuberant illustrations work impressively with the text....Excellent collaboration produced a winner: graceful, informative, and entertaining."--starred, Kirkus Reviews
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Tiny Space Gardening
“[A]n an incredibly handy manual full of information on how to grow plants in small spaces.” —GOOP
The beginner’s complete guide to urban, small space and container gardening from “our windowsill guru.” —Bon Appétit
This vibrant updated 2nd edition includes 30 earthy recipes for the vegetables from your edible garden and 50 gorgeous inspirational color photographs and illustrations.
No matter how small your space, you can grow an edible garden and enjoy home cooked meals from your harvest! With this stunning comprehensive guide, you’ll learn the basics of gardening in pots and containers, find small windowsill and countertop projects, and receive specific recommendations for plants that grow well in containers. Also included are 30 simple recipes you can make with your harvest, from Zucchini Fritters to Herby Pasta with Lettuce and Prosciutto, to Rosy Strawberry Buttermilk cake.
You’ll learn all about:
• the best containers and pots
• DIY planter boxes
• tools and supplies
• soil for containers
• feeding and watering
• simple pruning
• cooking with your harvest
• and much more
“With this guide, your garden can be as productive as you’d like, no matter the size." —Modern Farmer