Marissa Gould, intern

The Rosemont Preserve is full of native, drought resistant plants. Three of these plants – California buckwheat, Black Sage, and White Sage – have left the reserve for a new place to grow.

The seeds were collected by the Friends of the Rosemont Preserve and some local Girl Scouts. The seeds have been sent to a seed bank led by Theodore Payne. These seeds were put into 25 packets and sent to the La Crescenta Library. The library is one of only a few seed-lending libraries in Los Angeles.

The idea of a seed-lending library is fairly simple: someone takes a packet of seeds from the library and once their own seeds grow, the person sends the seeds back to the library so that more people can grow the plants in their yard.

The La Crescenta Library is the first library to lend out seeds that aren’t used for food. The plants will help La Crescenta with the current drought that is being experienced as these plants do not need as much as water as other non-native plants.

If people in the community were to plant, then send back, the drought-resistant seeds, and others would plant them and return them, it is hoped that a substantial amount of water would be saved, easing the current dry conditions that Southern California is dealing with while maintaining the lush landscaping that so many enjoy.