April is National Garden Month! Gardening offers numerous physical and mental health benefits. According to the USDA, spending time in nature can lower stress levels and boost your mood. Gardening can also provide a low-impact form of exercise, helping to build strength and endurance. In addition to its health benefits, gardening can also be a source of fresh, nutritious produce. Homegrown fruits and vegetables are often more flavorful and nutrient-dense than store-bought varieties, making them a great addition to any diet. Plus, gardening can help reduce food waste and lower grocery bills.

 

How can the Bridgeport Public Library help you during National Garden Month? Let me count the ways! Our Seed Library, which opened for the season a few weeks ago, provides a wide variety of fruit, vegetable, and herb seeds that our community is welcome to take for free! Last year, we were able to give away over 400 seed packets and would love to exceed that number this year.

 

Coming up on April 26 is our Indoor Planting Day where we will be starting the herbs and vegetables that will make their way out to our Community Garden later this season. On May 16, our Roots & Readers all-ages gardening program will resume in our Community Garden. As our patrons help us tend our garden, they are welcome to take any produce from the garden home with them. 

 

Don’t forget about all the gardening books we have to offer! No matter if you have a huge outdoor garden, container garden, or just a windowsill to plant some herbs, we have a book for you. Also, if you’re looking to make your thumb a bit greener, keep reading! 

 

How to Become a Gardener: Find Empowerment in Creating Your Own Food Security by Ashlie Thomas encourages you to take charge of your family's food security by learning how to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs with a practical step-by-step approach. 

 

The Kitchen Garden: Sowing, Growing and Cooking for the Garden Enthusiast by Lucy Mora is an illustrated guide to growing edible plants from sowing to harvesting. You will learn when to sow, what to grow, and how to make your delicious harvest into a meal. A planting chart summarizing the most useful information from plant profiles is also included, along with guidance on the different climate zones and how best to start your kitchen garden.

 

The Science of Gardening: Discover How Your Garden Really Grows by Stuart Farrimond includes an accessible guide structured around the life cycle of the garden, taking you from first shoots to pruning for renewal. This is a must-read gardening book for beginners with a passion for plants but who are daunted by trying to learn through traditional gardening manuals.