No matter how much you want to buy a wonderful gift for a gardener, don’t even think about going to the Hudson Valley Seed Library’s website unless you’re willing to waste a significant amount of time; theirs is one of the most seductive sites I know.
Started nine years ago by a group of heirloom seed savers they’ve grown into something bigger: now they have a seed farm to grow their own open-pollinated, non-hybridized and non genetically engineered seeds.
But what’s really remarkable about this group is the way they package their offerings, commissioning artists to create memorable seed packets. I’m sure I’m not the only one who buys them just to hang on the wall. At $3.75 a pack it’s an inexpensive way to surround yourself with colorful art. (They also sell gift baskets, tee shirts, art prints and greeting cards.)
Here’s the statement from their site:
“We’ve signed the Safe Seed Pledge & adhere to Vandana Shiva's Declaration of Seed Freedom. We take these commitments even further by researching the origins of all of the seeds we don’t grow ourselves to make sure that those sources are not related to, owned by, or affiliated with biotech or pharmaceutical corporations. We do the research so you can feel good about your seeds. At the same time as more and more seed sources are gobbled up by these multi-national corporations, we’re busy collecting, preserving, growing, offering, and celebrating seeds in all their diversity.”
And here are a couple more favorite packages:
