Looking for a new plant? Head to the library
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DENVER — Pothos, succulents, cacti and more are now available at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. The Five Points library is expanding beyond books, offering a plant propagation library where visitors can pick up or drop off a plant cutting for free.
The idea came from Kaye Johnson’s green thumb and desire for community. Johnson, a Blair-Caldwell employee, heard about similar efforts at other libraries and wanted to give it a try in Denver.
“Plus, my friends have no interest in plants,” Johnson said. “So I needed people to talk about plants with.”
Johnson shared a post on the Denver Plant Swap Facebook page announcing that the propagation library was open for business. The post amassed more than 1,600 likes and dozens of comments. Johnson said they were overwhelmed with donations and participants, and library visitors have been engaging with the plants daily.
“I’ve been getting to know our regulars ever since we started this program,” Johnson said. “They’ve been coming in for a while, but now we have a shared language because of our mutual love of plants.”
Blair-Caldwell’s branch supervisor Jameka Lewis, who also oversees all the library services, remembers early conversations with Johnson about the propagation library. Johnson came to Lewis searching for a way for the community to connect over plants, even though the library’s community garden was closing for the season.
Lewis has been thrilled by the response from library patrons.
“Whenever we start a new service or offer a new resource at the library, it tends to connect us with folks in a really unique way,” Lewis said. “There are folks who stop to look at the propagation library before they even fully come into the library.”
Johnson said they grew up with “the opposite of a green thumb.” When they discovered the companionship of plants during the COVID-19 pandemic, their home quickly turned into a greenhouse. Johnson hopes that a service that offers free plant clippings will help eliminate the sticker shock factor that comes with buying brand-new plants.
“It’s disheartening for a new plant person to spend $30 and then just watch their new plant die,” Johnson said. “Libraries are all about creating access for people and providing free services, so this is just an extension of that.”
Science illustrates the power of plants, with a recent study finding that caring for house plants can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Being around plants consistently is a way to bring down cortisol, the stress hormone.
For those who are wary of plant parenthood, Johnson said to keep it simple — try a hardy pothos or spider plant, both of which the library has in excess. They also encourage beginners to start with growing plants in water.
Johnson hopes the propagation library becomes a permanent installation and has ambitions to expand their efforts to a seed library sometime in the future.
“The propagation library is a perfect example of how library workers combine their passions with their work,” Lewis said. “We’re so proud of [Johnson] for pursuing this.”
The propagation library is open whenever the library is open, and there is no requirement to donate a plant if you choose to take one home. Johnson hopes this will encourage those who don’t typically engage with plants to give them a try.
“A family came in with all their kids, and the little ones got to pick out their own plant,” Johnson said. “That was really special because it was the kids’ first plant ever.”
Executive producer Alexis Kikoen contributed to this report.
Executive producer Alexis Kikoen contributed to this report.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.