UPDATE: Our online registration ends at 5pm on 2/6 for the 2/7 Green Spring Gardens event, but we still have a few spots left!
If you'd like to join us after the online registation ends, come to the registration desk just inside the visitor center at Green Spring Gardens starting at 12noon on Saturday. The speakier program gets started at 12:30pm - we can take onsite sign-ups until the swapping starts about 2:30pm.
Washington Gardener Magazine presents the
21st Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges
on Saturday, January 31, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm
National Seed Swap Day!
at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD
Registration is now open at
and
on Saturday, February 7, 2026, 12:30–4:00pm
at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA
Registration is now open at
Join us for:
Seed Swapping
Door Prizes
Planting Tips
Expert Speakers
Goody Bags
Indoor Plant Cuttings Table
Washington Gardener Magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the 19th annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.
Where:
We are holding a duo of Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you.
One exchange will be held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA.
How to Register:
Register online for the 1/31/26 event OR for the 2/7/26 one. Be sure you are registering for which event you plan to attend.
Registration fee is $20 per person. Friends of Brookside members, Friends of Green Spring members, and current Washington Gardener subscribers receive a discount rate of $15 per person.
We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location!
We are GREEN!!!
We also have a Garden Book and Seed Catalog Exchange table. Seed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event.
We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag. We will have a “best nametag” contest, so get crafty!
Event Hashtags #GardenDC and #SeedSwapDay
Please package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that is okay; just provide as much as you can.
Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs.
We also have table for houseplant cuttings and starts. We encourage everyone to bring your cuttings labeled and packed in individual baggies to share.
You can also bring bulbs/corms, cover crop seeds, etc.
You can also bring bulbs/corms, cover crop seeds, etc.
What If You Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?
Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend. We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.
Education Program
Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed collection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.
(Note: This schedule is subject to change.)
12:00-12:30 Registration check-in
12:30-12:40 Introductions
12:40-1:20 Gardening talk
1:20-1:55 Gardening talk
2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset
2:15-2:30 Seed Swap preview time
2:30-3:00 Seed Swap
(3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners - at Green Spring event only)
3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk
How Do We Swap?
As you check in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed category tables.
You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. You will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack from each of the category tables (if desired).
After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.
What Types of Seeds?
Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into which of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.
Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!
Each attendee will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publications, and garden items donated by our sponsors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners.
If your organization would like to contribute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, contact Kathy Jentz by January 25.
Charitable Donations:
Extra seeds from the swap are donated to local, nonprofit gardening groups.
A donation from part of the event proceeds will be made to the Seed Savers Exchange.
