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Designs On Society
Inset: One of the SeedFolk characters in action.
It wasn’t a big surprise that SeedFolk, the brand concept created by Seedlings Cards & Gifts, was proclaimed a winner of the ‘License This!’ competition at the end of last year, as its premise, based around characters that care for our wildflower seeds chimes so perfectly with our heightened awareness and appreciation of our native wild flora that help to protect the planet and aid our wellbeing. With the lovely idea of seed cards (in different incarnations) having germinated from several publishers, PG was happy to discover they are reaping more than they have sown.
Sarah-Jayne and Joel Mercer are co-owners of Seedlings Cards & Gifts “Seedlings Cards & Gifts began over 11 years ago, from an idea to give the gift of seeds, beginning with a small range of seed cards. As our ranges grew so did our education on seeds and we quickly became aware of the importance of using British grown varieties of flower, preferably of native origin and in particular the benefits of planting wildflowers for maintaining natural habitats. We’ve always had an interest in nature and preserving our natural environment for future generations, and it therefore became essential that our beliefs and values aligned with our business and so we began to spread the message. Many of the seeds we use are British grown native varieties which means they have evolved to be ideally suited to our native insect species, which have sadly suffered huge declines in recent years, mainly due to habitat loss. As opposed to many cultivated varieties of flower, wildflowers have accessible nectar and provide not only food and fuel, but a home for our wildlife, acting also as nursery plants for young larvae. In the early days, before the Save the Bees campaign highlighted the plight of our important insect species, we came across many who did not understand the importance of wildflowers and had people often refer to them as ‘weeds’. It is now wonderful to have experienced the change in perception in recent years, and the awareness of the wider public, which has contributed to the ‘growing for nature’ movement. On our 10 year anniversary we opened our bricks and mortar shop in the historic quarter of Hereford. It has been a delight to Left: Seedlings’ co-owners Sarah-jayne and Joel Mercer. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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