"A new generation of green thumbs are creating beautifully designed seed packets to encourage the growth of lush gardens — and social consciousness."
"When you buy the “Decolonize This Yard” native wildflower mix seed packet from Matiz Press in Chicago, you get much more than a lush garden. The packet, which is presented like a zine, has a rough-hewn, punky aesthetic. These “functional gardening tools and objects of political imagination,” designed by Miguel Limón, a Mexican American artist and the founder of Matiz, offer a creative way to acknowledge Indigenous land.
The humble seed packet, popularized by the Shakers in the late 18th century, was once adorned with romanticized lithographs of farm cornucopias. Recently it has undergone a dramatic makeover, powered in part by young gardeners who are anxious about climate change and increasingly averse to algorithmic slop.
Crafty social media users have been posting tutorials on how to make seed packets, like the ones a TikToker fashioned out of a paper grocery bag. And except for the most bespoke seed packets, they tend to cost about $5 or less. They turn something ephemeral (a small paper rectangle) into something you want to treasure — or at least post to social media.
Groovy Root, a new gardening company in Florida, sends off its seeds in packets with colorful designs and cheery cartoon planters reminiscent of 1970s children’s shows on public television. The Alaska pea, for example, features a pea plant juggling peas; a pot of chives holds a mirror while trimming its chive stalk “hair.” "
Alexander Nazaryan reports for the New York Times August 25, 2026.
