Well, it’s finally here!
Our launch party is tonight and we’re excited to share what we’ve been working on with all of you. It has honestly been a joyful, thoughtful process full of enlightening moments.
We want to make positive choices about each element of the Seed Library from the outset, so Amy spent a long time researching and sourcing compostable envelopes with plant-based adhesives, and paper labels with plant-based inks, so that when all the seeds in the packets are planted, you can simply rip them up and add them to your compost pile.
Last month, we made a tour of all the second-hand furniture shops in Fife to find a cabinet that would meet the requirements of the Seed Library. Something accessible, solid and compact that would keep our seeds dry and also tuck neatly into a variety of spaces. Once we brought it home, it was a massive effort for Amy and I to sand off the thousand-layer lacquer so that it was ready for painting. Between breaking our borrowed sanding tools, running out of sandpaper twice and dodging February rain showers, it took a bit longer than we anticipated.
Once we had prepped and primed the cabinet, our dear friend and local artist Abi Cooper began to bring the Seed Library cabinet and suitcase to life. Their style of vibrant, exciting and ever-so-slightly unhinged artwork now adorns the Seed Library and we couldn’t be happier with it.
I spent an afternoon creating the posters for the Launch and our Seed Swap which was great fun- we’re committed to favouring hand drawn artwork over computer generated junk, even if it takes us a bit more time. Hopefully you like the designs!
Meanwhile, Amy, Milly and I have been sorting out the seeds themselves; taking massive jars full of thousands of seeds saved in our various gardens, separating the chaff and organising them into packets, listing all the different times to sow and harvest the seed.
We really enjoyed the process of getting everything together, and now it’s time to share it with the seed saving community of Fife!