LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Melissa Starck-Dotson may be a graphic designer by trade, but she’s a green thumb at heart.
When she’s working on her garden, Starck-Dotson wants to be immersed in her surroundings.
“I want things that encourage butterflies, local birds and other type of wildlife to come to my yard,” Starck-Doston said. “I think it creates a Zen area.”
Starck-Doston runs the Wild Natives Plant Nursery. Two months ago, she reached out to Amanda Green, the woman who started creating seed libraries in west Texas. A little while later, Starck-Dotson’s box was built and ready to go, starting a powerful area collaboration.
“It’s awesome because I’ve gotten to meet someone that’s like-minded and shares a true grass roots effort,” Starck-Doston said. “She really sees the hope in sharing seeds and hoping even just one flower can make a difference.”
Inside the seed library, you’ll find plenty of plants that aren’t common to the Lubbock, but they’re well-adapted to this area.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the color pallet that west Texas can provide,” Starck-Doston said. “We have reds, we have purples, we have blues, we have yellows, a lot of yellows. West Texas has a lot of yellows.
These packs are labeled for your convenience. Each one gives you the common plant name, the scientific name and how to sow the seeds.
“It just goes to show you that there’s people that are hungry for something new and they’re looking for something new to learn and I think this is such a good launch point for that,” Starck-Doston said.
Starck-Doston says her favorite part about having keeping up with this box so far is seeing people get excited about something she’s so passionate about.
“I know a lot of people say planting seeds is like planting hope for the future,” Starck-Doston said, “and I know that’s such a common thing to say, but I think it holds a lot of weight. I think a lot of people are searching for community, they want like-minded people, I think they want friendships and I think that’s what this box kind of represents.”
All the natural plants and resources you could ask for in order to succeed in our unique climate.
To find the Lubbock seed library location, visit The Native Agenda website.
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