Seeds ‘n’ Reads family events set at Rehoboth library

The Rehoboth Beach Public Library invites kids and families to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day at its upcoming Seeds ‘n’ Reads events, rain or shine, in the covered breezeway at 226 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach.

In case of inclement weather, activities will be held indoors.

On Earth Day, youngsters can sculpt a clay chia pet, turn fruit peels into biodegradable bird feeders, learn about recycling and composting, and celebrate springtime with bubbles, chalk, music, fresh fruits and more from 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 22. Representatives from the ROOTS Farm & Forest School will offer several fun, hands-on activities for curious kids who love the great outdoors, including seed planting, build-a-bug-hotel, a compost dig-n-find, and a nature scavenger hunt. Volunteers from the Sussex Gardeners and the Village Improvement Association will discuss planting tips and and local community projects.

In an effort to cultivate the Rehoboth community’s love for gardening, librarians will unveil a new seed library for patrons, featuring dozens of varieties of free herb, vegetable and wildflower seeds. Seeds for veggies and greens like butter crunch lettuce, carrots, beans, broccoli, beets and squash are on the menu, along with cooking herbs like rosemary, sage, parsley, oregano and basil. The library will supply these free seeds to Delaware library patrons. A special cataloging label will help the librarians keep track of their most popular varieties.

After April 22, Delaware residents with library cards may visit the Rehoboth Beach Public Library between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays to select up to four free packets of seeds per day.

For Arbor Day, Rehoboth librarians invite young gardeners to help them plant and decorate their new tower garden from 3 to 5 p.m., Friday, April 25.  Kids can also paint, plant and take home their own mini-gardens. The library’s 5-foot vertical garden is portable and houses 30 pots; when fully planted, it will roam the library like a friendly giant so visitors can watch the seeds as they grow. Sussex Gardeners and Village Improvement Association volunteers will give tips on how to plant the best home garden this spring. For a special treat, kids can make yummy “worm cups” out of chocolate or butterscotch pudding, Oreo cookie crumbles, graham cracker crumbs and rainbow gummy worms while learning about the different layers of soil.