Neighborhood Seeds

I want to distribute for free 200+ hand-painted seed packets with indigenous seeds in them that require little to no tending. The packets would be filled will seeds that would naturally be found in each San Francisco neighborhood ecosystem. For example, white yarrow which is great at preventing soil erosion, would be in the packets for the Sunset District. The packets themselves would be made out of re-purposed paper and would be hand-painted with the plant images. Each packet would also include a brief history of the species in relation to the neighborhood and tips for planting. There would be a hashtag and some contact information for folks to send pictures of their plantings. All this would be culminated into a map that I would update on a website as people report their use of the seeds.

The purpose of the project is to provide people with another way of interacting with their neighborhood and an easy positive way for them to contribute to changing it. I want to celebrate the small triumphs of beauty and everyday scrappiness that have made this city what it is.

Funded by San Francisco, CA (May 2016)