MNN - Mother Nature Network

Although I published my home design and gardening holiday gift guide back at the end of November, over the next couple of weeks I’ll also be highlighting a few last minute-ish gift ideas, all $25 or under, ideal for stuffing in a holiday stocking (made from reclaimed sails or otherwise).

 

First up is Seed Money from Leafcutter Designs, an Oakland-based purveyor of “curious goods, surprising services, and participatory projects” that’s operated by the brother-sister team of Lea and Devin Redmond. I’m familiar with — and have previously featured — a few of Leafcutter’s previous endeavors including Recipe Dice and the Tiny Mail Stationery Kit. With this new project, one that got its start over the summer through a crazy successful Kickstarter campaign, it appears that Lea and Devin have reached dizzying new heights in handmade whimsy-dom. 

 

Seed Money is exactly what it sounds like: coins (of the hand-illustrated and letterpress-printed paper variety) embedded with a variety of seeds. Tender for tending, indeed.

 

Each different domination — pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters — is embedded with a different varitety of seed. With the pennies, you get a roll 55 coins embedded with a mix of organic wildflower seeds including Black-Eyed Susan, Shirley Poppy, White Tarrow, and Sweet Alyssum. The nickels (roll of 40) are embedded with an array of herb seeds including oregano, dill, parsley, basil, chive, thyme, and sage. The root crop lover in your life will appreciate a roll of 50 dimes embedded with heirloom carrot, parsnip, and turnip seeds. On the hunt for currency that will result in a delicious salad? The coinage within a roll of 40 of not-so-shiny quarters is embedded with the seeds of non-GMO bibb lettuce, endive, radicchio, and other leaf vegetables.

 

Each coin reads: "In Soil We Trust."

 

Ha.

 

Leafcutter recommends using Seed Money in a variety of ways including leaving them on the sidewalk, scattering them on a friend’s front yard or in a park, or using them as a tip at a restaurant (along with the appropriate amount of real coinage, of course). Also: "Send a roll to a politician with a letter expressing your opinion on agribusiness subsidies." I think a roll or two would fit nicely into the holiday stocking of your favorite fiscal-minded greenthumb.

 

Seed Money is a joint effort between Leafcutter Designs, Nebraska-based Porrige Papers (the letterpress coins) and Slide Sideways (the wrapper design), a studio based in my hometown of Tacoma, Wash. All rolls are $15 a pop at the Leafcutter Designs webstore.