The borders on the seed packets

An original explanation of an invented community seed library.

Every packet in the seed library carried a catalogue code and a patterned border. The catalogue code allowed volunteers to distinguish between varieties with similar names. The border gave different information: dots meant that the seeds should be started under cover, while small leaves meant that they could be sown directly outdoors.

At first, some borrowers thought the patterns were only decorative. We therefore placed a key above the packets and printed the heading Where to sow beside it. We kept the catalogue codes because volunteers still needed them when recording which varieties had been borrowed.