We’re Giving Away Another Vintage Seed Packet

Posted on May 14, 2013 by USPS Stamps

It’s time to give away another vintage seed packet! Today’s prize is the digitalis packet.

The front of the seed packet depicts stalks of yellow, pink, and coral digitalis. The back of the packet describes the flower in more detail:

A very beautiful and interesting old fashioned plant whose culture is very simple. The bell-shaped flowers borne on long spikes make an exceedingly handsome and stately border.

To win the digitalis seed packet, all you have to do is answer one question: What is the common name for digitalis?

Email your answer, along with your name and address, to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. One winner will be selected at random. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, May 15. (NOTE: The digitalis seed packet is empty; no seeds are included.)

The correct answer is Foxglove. Congratulations to Chad Crabtree, the lucky winner of the vintage digitalis seed packet! Check back next week for another chance to win.

After today there will only be four more chances to win. Check back next week for another vintage seed packet giveaway.

The Vintage Seed Packets stamps are Forever® stamps. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.) Find them in your neighborhood Post Office, or

Calendula Seed Packet Giveaway

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Mary

The Vintage Seed Packets stamps released in April are proving to be the perfect stamps for springtime correspondence. Let’s keep the cheer blooming (ahem) with another giveaway. The zinnia and aster seed packets have already been claimed. Today’s prize is the calendula packet.

The front of the seed packet depicts a vibrant orange calendula. The back of the packet describes the flower in more detail:

Hardy annual, of the easiest growth and blooms all the time. Produces a cheery, brilliant and showy effect in beds or for borders and is highly esteemed for cut flowers.

Blooms all the time? Sounds perfect!

To win the calendula seed packet, all you have to do is answer one question: The calendula typically closes its blossoms at what time of day?

Email your answer, along with your name and address, to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. One winner will be selected at random. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 10. (NOTE: The calendula seed packet is empty; no seeds are included.)

Congratulations to Curtis Connolly, the lucky winner of the vintage calendula seed packet. Check back next week for another chance to win.

There will be five more chances to win. Check back next week for another seed packet giveaway.

The Vintage Seed Packets stamps are Forever® stamps. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.) Find them in your neighborhood Post Office, or

Vintage Seed Packets Giveaway: Aster

Posted on May 2, 2013 by USPS Stamps

Earlier this month the U.S. Postal Service continued its tradition of issuing beautiful flower stamps with the release of Vintage Seed Packets. These ten stamps feature photographs of antique seed packets (printed between 1910 and 1920), cropped to highlight their beautiful floral detail.

We really love these stamps, and to spread the joy we’ve decided to give away eight actual vintage seed packets. We’ve already given away one, but there are still seven more chances for you to win. Today’s prize is an aster seed packet.

The front of the seed packet depicts three aster blooms: one white, one pink, and one blue. The back of the packet describes the aster in more detail:

The aster is considered the queen of all fall flowers. For beauty and variety of form and color it is unrivalled, and of all flowers is best adapted to win the admiration of all lovers of floral beauty.

To win the packet, all you have to do is answer one question: The aster is the birth flower for which month?

Each envelope in this set of ten First Day Covers bears an affixed Vintage Seed Packets stamp and an official First Day of Issue postmark. Click the image for details.

Email your answer, along with your name and address, to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. One winner will be selected at random. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 3. (NOTE: The aster seed packet is empty; no seeds are included.)

If you don’t win this time, you still have six more chances to win. Check back next week for another seed packet giveaway.

The Vintage Seed Packets stamps are Forever® stamps. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.) Find them in your neighborhood Post Office, or

Congratulations to Leslie Bryant, the lucky winner of the vintage aster seed packet. Check back later this week for another chance to win.

Four Sources of Vintage Seed Packets Inspiration

Posted on April 24, 2013 by USPS Stamps

Each envelope in this set of ten First Day Covers bears an affixed Vintage Seed Packets stamp and a First Day of Issue color postmark. Click the image for details.

Aren’t the beautiful? According to Dr. Irwin Richman, author of Seed Art: the Package Made Me Buy It, the first seed catalog using color plates was issued in 1853. Since then, the illustrations in catalogs and on seed packages—from the original hand-painted pictures to modern photographs—have encouraged gardeners to believe that they, too, can grow the same luscious, perfect blossoms.

If you can’t get enough of these pictures of botanical perfection, we’ve found some online resources to inspire you even more:

The Smithsonian Institution has an extensive collection of vintage seed catalogs. Its online exhibit holds 500 illustrations from more than 250 catalogs. You can browse by company or by the kind of flower, fruit, or vegetable you want to see. The exhibit also includes examples of vintage seed-catalog cover art featuring everything from farms to fairs, seed stores to ships.

The National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland, holds a collection of more than 200,000 American and international seed catalogs. The catalogs date from the late 1700s, and its online exhibit includes a few examples from that time. However, the beautifully illustrated catalogs begin with examples from 1876.

Fascinated by the history of seed catalogs? The Oregon State University Libraries’ Special Collections Division has a wonderful illustrated exhibit that explores the history of the catalogs in the U.S. and Europe.

The Labelman, an online store that specializes in antique seed packets—as well as labels from crates and cans—offers a wealth of information on its website, including a brief history and tips on decorating with the vintage art.

Have fun exploring! And don’t forget that spring seed catalogs should be arriving in your mailbox soon, offering the same garden dreams as their vintage ancestors.

How To: Decorating With Vintage Seed Packets

Posted on April 17, 2013 by USPS Stamps

Are you feeling inspired by the incredible beauty of the ? Many decorators and crafters also find the gorgeous illustrations irresistible. Packets similar to those featured on the stamps are easily found on eBay and Etsy, or by doing a simple Internet search. Here are just a few of the inventive ways you can use them:

Pillows: The slightly faded image of vintage flowers on fabric makes a beautiful and one-of-a-kind throw pillow. You can create a garden effect by choosing several seed packets for your project and grouping the resulting pillows together on a chair or bench. There are numerous ways to transfer images to fabric, and YouTube has tutorials on several simple methods.

Framed art: Just like the art on the Vintage Seed Packets stamps, you’ll want the illustrations in your collection to complement one another. You can choose by color or the shape of the blossoms, or pick out the flowers that are your favorites. Flower illustrations seem like a natural fit for decorating bedrooms or living rooms, but the kitchen makes an ideal location for framed vegetable seed packets. Buy ready-made frames and mats at a craft store, and you have original and unique art for your walls

Decoupage: Seed packet art looks beautiful decoupaged on painted flowerpots or decorative tiles. , but you might already have your own project in mind. YouTube is a treasure trove of instruction on how to decoupage.

Use this charming set of notecards to send garden party invitations and other fun correspondence The set includes 10 notecards and envelopes and 10 Vintage Seed Packets stamps. Click image for details.

Parties: Throw a spring garden party. Decorate the tables with clay pots filled with flowers, and use the vintage seed packets as part of the centerpiece. The packets would also be pretty as place cards or party favors.

Let your imagination run wild. And let us know the ways you found to use these vintage illustrations to make your world more beautiful.

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Tag Archives: Vintage Seed Packets

We’re Giving Away Another Vintage Seed Packet

Calendula Seed Packet Giveaway

Vintage Seed Packets Giveaway: Aster

Four Sources of Vintage Seed Packets Inspiration

How To: Decorating With Vintage Seed Packets