MARION — Vegging out over the winter may be tempting, but it’s not too early to make plans for a vegetable garden. Community Veg Marion and Friends of Elizabeth Tabor Library want to help residents grow food.

The Elizabeth Tabor Library offers free seeds, as well as small tools, instructional videos, books and magazines to help people grow their own vegetables. Community Veg Marion has partnered with the library to add to their offerings.

In 2023 and 2024, Community Veg added peas, beans and several other vegetable seeds to the seed bank at the library.  

Last year, boxes of seeds were ordered from Johnny’s Select Seeds and casually made available to anyone visiting the Community Veg Garden at 465 Mill St. 

Seeds included kale, zucchini, bok choy, basil, patty pan squash, acorn squash, melon, Chinese cabbage, watermelon, lettuce, parsnips, collards, carrots, beets, butternut squash, buttercup squash, arugula, kabocha squash, sweet corn, okra, pumpkin, rutabaga, delicata squash, spaghetti squash, hush cherries, and a few novelties such as celosia, giant zinnias, birdhouse gourd, and white clover.

Community Veg Marion is trying to help people learn to garden organically, in a way that minimizes use of water, weeding, and maintenance. There are ten allotments behind the Council on Aging parking lot. When possible, Community Veg Marion will help people set up home gardens by supplying needed materials and offering guidance.

Sunnynook Farm in Rochester has donated all their unsold seeds from 2024 and Community Veg Marion is about to place an order at Johnny’s Seeds. Seeds will be available at the Elizabeth Tabor Library, likely as soon as March 15.

This program helps gardeners understand the importance of saving and swapping seeds because learning to grow food can be expensive and discouraging, with seeds costing about $6 for a package of 250. 

Later this year, the third annual Marion Secret Vegetable Garden Tour will take place, sponsored by Community Veg Marion and Friends of the Elizabeth Tabor Library. This offers gardeners a look at how people grow vegetables in this climate.

To learn more about the community garden or to offer preferences for vegetable seeds, email communityveg@marionma.gov.