Vintage Seed Box Nostalgia!

Vintage seed boxes!

I love vintage anything as I feel we are leaving so many wonderful things behind as we march forward in the name of progress. 

Please don’t get me wrong….the invention of inside bathrooms, washing machines, electric vacuums (or WALL-E in my case) are wonderful inventions and I am happy to have them.

But I am also sad to see some older things tossed aside in the name of progress….like seed boxes!

 

 

Do you know what they are and were used for?

Perhaps not as they were introduced in the 1830’s, 40-‘s time period.

You see in the 19th century, seed packets were often displayed in wooden boxes adorned with colorful seed company labels.

Farmers usually kept back bags of seeds for future crops, gleaned from their own plants, however if ladies or gents wanted specific flowers or vegetables, they visited the general store.  

Customers interested in buying the seed packets would find the seed boxes placed on general store countertops. These were considered the silent salesman, unlike the seed peddlers who went door to door selling their wares.

Seed boxes were just one of many marketing tools used by seed companies to sell their products. They also distributed catalogs to amateur gardeners each winter in preparation for spring gardening. 

They were wooden boxes, looking much like a modern day hard-sided briefcase.

Seed Boxes came under a variety of seed companies.  Cole’s, Rochester Seed Company, and theD.M. Ferry, which is mine, ——just to name a few.

I found my D.M Ferry vintage seed box at an estate sale and immediately snatched it up!

Perhaps one could call me a hoarder of old pieces of history, but believe me when I tell you I have regretted (many times over) tossing bits of history out the door…. and I am thinking particularly of old 78 RPM records of wonderful music such as George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.  Have you heard that they are bringing back the old record players?  But that is another story for another time.

Today we are talking about seed packets and seed boxes.

I added a few items to my seed box making an interesting vignette that has brought several conversations and discussions for visitors in our home.

My Mother’s favorite flower was the zinnia….and I have to admit I love it too.

You will see there are several packets of zinnias, morning glories and bachelor buttons.

I also added a pair of garden gloves and a little trowel…they are not vintage but perhaps I will work on finding a few old items for my seed box.

I did place my glass milk bottles near the box…remember when milk was delivered right to your door?

I hear that milk delivery has returned to a few areas in an experimental stage.

For today, my seed box is interesting as the seed sign on the inside cover is peeling and aging but I don’t care. I could add a new background, but that might come at a future date.

I thought you might like to see my seed box and perhaps you might have heard of them from years gone by….or perhaps you own one yourself.

Have a great day and enjoy your nostalgic memories.

I certainly do.