In addition to perennial seeds – like these flowers grown by a Yucca Library patron – up to four free fruit and vegetable seed packets can be “checked out” by library patrons every three weeks (photo courtesy of Phoenix Public Library).

With the arrival of October’s cooler weather, it is the perfect time to get outside and get growing. But where can newbie gardeners begin? One place is the Phoenix Public Library, where residents will find a wealth of free resources.

Beyond how-to books on a wide range of gardening techniques, library patrons can visit the Seed Library kiosk at their local library where they will find a variety of fruit, vegetable and perennial seeds available for check out. Customers may check out up to four seed packets at one time per card, every three weeks. Visit www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/unique/seed-library.

While you watch and wait to harvest your bounty, you may want to spend some time in the kitchen brushing up on healthy cooking techniques. Patrons will find a broad variety of cookbooks and other informational books on the shelves, as well as access to digital resources.

One eResource available through the library is AtoZ World Food, which contains traditional recipes for 174 countries of the world and is the only database that covers food culture in six categories: National Cuisine, Regional Cuisine, Daily Meals, Dining Etiquette, Special Occasion Foods, and Food Trivia. In addition, online courses are offered through Universal Class. Log into your library account and search “Universal Class” to access the courses.

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program also offers recipes, cooking and food safety tips, and ways to use common ingredients to create new meals. Through video libraries and other resources, Phoenix families will be cooking healthy in no time. Visit https://extension.arizona.edu/programs for additional information.