Ep. 63 Rewilding One Backyard at a Time – Mélanie Ouellette, Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library

About this episode

Mélanie Ouellette discusses the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library and the importance of growing native plants.

Mélanie Ouellette runs the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library from her home in Orleans, Ontario. This all began when she asked "What's preventing people from growing native plants in our region?" In this episode, Mélanie shares the logistics of how the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library works. How hundreds of volunteers harvest the seeds, pack seed packs, fulfill orders, and attend events to distribute the seeds to gardeners. We talk about the importance of genetic diversity, the difference between straight species and cultivars, and the importance of reciprocity in community stewardship. In the deep dive, Mélanie and I focus on growing swamp milkweed for seed. We explore how it is a host plant for monarch butterflies, the technical nuances of harvesting and cleaning milkweed's fluffy seeds, and the importance of cold-moist stratification to ensure successful germination. Enjoy the conversation! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 Episode links Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca/ Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Instangram https://www.instagram.com/ottawawildflower/ Ottawa…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Brisebois

Guest: Mélanie Ouellette

Topics covered

• rewilding
• native plants
• community stewardship
• genetic diversity
• seed harvesting
• monarch butterflies

Keywords

• wildflower seed library
• native plants
• genetic diversity
• swamp milkweed
• monarch butterflies
• seed harvesting
• community stewardship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library

Places: Orleans, Ontario, Ottawa, Canada

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