The Great Library Seed and Plant Swap

Every year in September Christchurch City Libraries hosts the Great Library Seed and Plant Swap. Come along to your local library and bring any seeds or seedlings you'd like to swap. Don't have anything to swap but would like something to take away and grow? That's okay too.

This page has information about seeds, gardening and the locations and dates for seed swaps at libraries around Christchurch.

Seed and plant swap locations for 2026

Akaroa Library - Friday 18 September

Aranui Library - Monday 21 September to Sunday 27 September

Diamond Harbour Library - Monday 7 September to Monday 21 September

Fendalton Library - Monday 14 September to Saturday 19 September

Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre - Monday 7 September to Sunday 13 September

Linwood Library - Thursday 3 September to Thursday 10 September

Little River Library - Monday 7 September to Friday 11 September

Lyttelton Library - Tuesday 1 September to Thursday 8 October

Matatiki Hornby Centre - Saturday 29 August to Monday 7 September

Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre - Saturday 26 September

New Brighton Library - Monday 14 September to Sunday 20 September

Ōrauwhata: Bishopdale Library - Monday 31 August to Saturday 12 September

Papanui Library - Sunday 13 September to Wednesday 16 September

Parklands Library - Monday 21 September to Saturday 26 September

Redwood Library - Wednesday 16 September to Saturday 19 September

Shirley Library - Tuesday 1 September to Wednesday 30 September

South Colombo - Monday 7 September to Sunday 13 September

Spreydon Library - Monday 14 September to Sunday 20 September

Upper Riccarton Library - Monday 7 September to Sunday 20 September

Seeding the seed and plant swaps

As well as seeds, plants, and seedlings we will have useful growing and gardening information available at our seed and plant swap sites.

Trees for Canterbury

Thanks to our friends at Trees for Canterbury who have kindly donated native seedlings to our libraries to get The Great Library Seed and Plant Swap started!

Canterbury Community Gardens Association

Many thanks to Canterbury Community Gardens Association for their donation of seeds in support of the this initiative.

Find-A-Pest

The free Find-A-Pest app makes it easy to report and identify any possible pest species you find. Wherever you are - you can help protect New Zealand's primary industries and native species in two easy steps - SNAP IT - SEND IT.