Interested in trying a new hobby this summer? The Eden Park Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library is handing out grab and geaux herb garden starter kits on May 15 while supplies last.

Reference Librarian Hillary Destouet grew a love for gardening last year, and now she’s planting that love in the community for library-goers. Gardening can be expensive, Destouet said, so she wanted to create an easy kit for beginners.

Each kit includes everything you need to get started: about five seeds, instructions, a small terracotta pot and potting soil. Patrons are given the choice between rosemary seeds and parsley seeds. 

People often overlook gardening and think they can’t grow anything in their home, she said.

“Some people don’t have a lot of space,” Destouet said. “For the herb garden starter kit, this can be something where someone can easily get started with gardening, but not necessarily have a big yard or big space to plant.”

The idea stemmed from a paint and plant event Destouet hosted in April, where patrons painted a terracotta pot and planted a flower.

“I saw that the community was interested in gardening,” Destouet said. “So, I had leftover materials from that program and started thinking, ‘What can I do, what can I do with these leftover materials?’ And that ended up being the grab and geaux.”

On May 1, Destouet handed out grab and geaux cut flower kits, each including a mix of wildflower seeds like zinnias and cosmos, which help pollinate the area, Destouet said. The event was a success because the kits were gone after 45 minutes, she said, and some patrons lined up outside before the 9 a.m. opening.

Destouet doubled the number of herb kits compared to the cut flower kits, from seven to 14. She’s also making a few extra cut flower kits for those who may have missed them earlier this month. Herb kits probablywon’t last long on May 15, so be sure to arrive early at or before the 9 a.m. opening if you want a kit.

Some other libraries have seed libraries, which are spaces dedicated to holding and storing seeds where people can donate or take what they need. While the Eden Park branch Library doesn’t currently have a seed library, there’s potential for one if the community’s interest in gardening stays high, Destouet said.

This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the non-profit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-led coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations.