The Italian brand Piccolo supplies seeds specially selected for space-limited urban gardens. A fine gift for any kitchen gardener and a contemporary, green-fingered audience. These seed packets resemble slim paperback books the size of a posh chocolate bar, with elegant graphics whose attention to latest graphic art trends makes them design objects. Calling them seed packets is an understatement; they are 30 mini-volumes comprising a seed library dedicated to plant and vegetable varieties specially selected for urban gardens with space constraints. In an age in which the cultivation of fruit and vegetables on the balcony or the terrace represents the last frontier of urban and eco-sustainable agriculture, Piccolo’s seeds for a contemporary vegetable garden represent a new dimension. These seed packets stem from the original proposal of Piccolo, an Italian project born near Venice in 2012 from the desire to grow vegetables in urban areas. Piccolo’s unique online shop attracts customers from all over the world and has received attention from important companies and organizations, such as the Museo delle Scienze of Trento; Kristalia, which presented the products at Milano Design Week 2018 ; and the Triennale Design Museum in Milan, the first museum of Italian design, which from April 2018 to January 2019 hosted a hydroponic cultivation exhibit made from Piccolo Seeds plants. The seeds produce not only fruits and vegetables, but also edible flowers and aromatic herbs, creating a beautiful, minimal and useful garden. Piccolo’s 30 seed varieties have been selected after careful research and experimentation. The varieties, rediscovered in old seed catalogues and designed and tested for growth in pots, feature compact and dwarf sizes, suitable for small growing spaces, such as a balcony garden . They range from classic Genoese basil to heirloom Paris Market carrots, from dwarf cucumbers like Spacemaster to the authentic Italian tomato San Marzano. Piccolo also supplies rarities, such as the legendary American variety of basil Mrs. Burns’ Lemon and the tomato Thai Pink Egg, a variety that matures into an egg-shaped pink fruit, one of the most beautiful tomatoes that can be grown today. Piccolo’s originality, in addition its careful seed selection, lies in its beautiful and colourful packaging, made from sustainable and completely recyclable materials, in which attention is paid to the smallest detail. The London-based studio Here Design created the innovative brand identity, featuring packaging designed to look like a miniature book series. Each packet contains information and useful tips for cultivation – from the best sowing times, to a timeline for the plant’s growth, and the amount of light and water needed. The series includes the history of and interesting facts about the plant, its medicinal properties and suggestions for original recipes and cocktails. The packages can grow into a library of 30 collectable mini-volumes.