MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Seed Lending Library, located in the Middletown branch of the Lake County Library at 21256 Washington St., is offering free fall/winter vegetable garden kits to the public.

Call the library at 707-987-3674 to make an appointment to pick up a garden kit.

The garden kits contain three packets of seeds, three garden markers and three biodegradable cardboard pots for starting seeds.

The seed library invites donations of saved vegetable and flower seeds to share with local gardeners. Membership in the seed library is free, does not need a library card and you don’t even have to live in Lake County.

Contact the library to learn how to borrow, return or donate seeds. Call 707-987-3674 for more information.

Middletown Library is open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The library’s website gives information about library programs, services and policies.

To improve the chances of success for your seed’s next grower, donated seeds should be saved from open-pollinated plants, not hybrids, saved from “easy” plants such as beans, peas, tomatoes and lettuce or saved from properly isolated plants, and saved from a number of healthy plants.

Seeds should be clean, dry and properly labeled.

Following these protocols will help ensure that the seeds in the library are what the label says they are and that they will produce healthy plants.

Jan Cook is a library technician for the Lake County Library.