Mélanie Ouellette runs the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library from her home in Orleans, Ontario. This all began when she asked “What’s preventing people from growing native plants in our region?”

In this episode, Mélanie shares the logistics of how the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library works. How hundreds of volunteers harvest the seeds, pack seed packs, fulfill orders, and attend events to distribute the seeds to gardeners. We talk about the importance of genetic diversity, the difference between straight species and cultivars, and the importance of reciprocity in community stewardship.

In the deep dive, Mélanie and I focus on growing swamp milkweed for seed. We explore how it is a host plant for monarch butterflies, the technical nuances of harvesting and cleaning milkweed’s fluffy seeds, and the importance of cold-moist stratification to ensure successful germination.

Enjoy the conversation!

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Episode links Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca/

Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Instangram https://www.instagram.com/ottawawildflower/

Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CV6G1cvGY/

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May 16: Seed Library Conference: Sustaining a Seed Library https://givebutter.com/sustaining-a-seed-library?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems

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Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/

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❤️ Thanks for listening!