The Seedling Exchange

Presented by Nature Festival and City of Adelaide

The Seedling Exchange is a temporary public pavilion and living installation bringing propagation into the heart of Adelaide. Located on North Terrace in front of the State Library of South Australia, it creates a place where architecture, ecology and collective participation meet.

Step inside, collect a cup, add soil, choose a native seed, plant it and give it its first water. Take your seedling home to nurture or leave it within the pavilion, where it will grow alongside the contributions of others.

As thousands of seeds are planted across Nature Festival, the pavilion will gradually transform into a collective nursery—a living record of many small acts of care. The seedlings will then disperse into homes, gardens, schools and community spaces, extending the project beyond its temporary city home.

No gardening experience is needed, and participation takes only a few minutes. Through this simple, hands-on exchange, visitors learn how to begin growing from seed and become part of a larger living system.

With support from the City of Adelaide Biodiversity Team, selected native seeds will be propagated during the festival, with the seedlings grown on for future planting within Adelaide’s public realm — extending the life of the project beyond the festival and creating a lasting connection back to the city.

Open daily from 11am–3pm + later on Fridays throughout Nature Festival, with additional talks, demonstrations and activities led by growers, artists, ecological practitioners and community organisations.

Opening Hours During the Festival September 25th - October 11th:
Mondays 11am - 3pm
Tuesdays 11am - 3pm
Wednesdays 11am - 3pm
Thursdays 11am - 3pm
Fridays 11am - 6pm
Saturdays 11am - 3pm
Sundays 11am - 3pm

COME ALONG TO ONE OF THE SPECIAL APPEARANCES AT SEEDLING EXCHANGE:

Tuesday 29th 1pm - 3pm

Sara Mitchell. Horticulturist and Garden Designer from Diggers Club Adelaide. Ask all your seedy questions: drop by and chat about what vegetable seeds to sow now and tips for propagation.

Friday 2nd 11am - 1pm

Learn from an expert: Trees for Life are on site today to talk to visitors about Native plants suitable for Adelaide Gardens and what is entailed in the Volunteering Program, planting Seeds for Life - Come in and browse a display of native plants!

Saturday 3rd 1:00pm–12:00noon and 14:00pm–15:00pm

Ask the expert about Pollen. Andrew will have his 3D-printed pollen models enlarged 1,000 times their actual size. Learn about how pollen shape can be used to understand plant evolution.

Sunday 4th 1:00pm–12:00pm and 14:00pm–15:00pm

Ask the expert about Pollen. Andrew will have his 3D-printed pollen models enlarged 1,000 times their actual size. Learn about how pollen shape can be used to understand plant evolution.

Monday 5th 11am - 1pm

Planting the City: Members of the City of Adelaide Horticulture and Biodiversity Team will be at Seedling Exchange 11 -1pm today talking about the varieties being planted at The Seedling Exchange. Drop in to learn more about these seeds indigenous to the Adelaide Plains (including Round-leaf Wattle (Acacia acinacea), Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), Native Scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum)) which will be planted across the city following Nature Festival.

Tuesday 6th 11am - 1pm

Planting the City: Members of the City of Adelaide Horticulture and Biodiversity Team will be at Seedling Exchange 11 -1pm today talking about the varieties being planted at The Seedling Exchange. Drop in to learn more about these seeds indigenous to the Adelaide Plains (including Round-leaf Wattle (Acacia acinacea), Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), Native Scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum)) which will be planted across the city following Nature Festival.

Tuesday 6th 11am - 3pm

Alex Miller from Diggers Club: Plant Beautiful Seeds for a beautiful garden: drop by and chat about what flower seeds to sow now to attract pollinators

Wednesday 7th 11am - 1pm

Planting the City: Members of the City of Adelaide Horticulture and Biodiversity Team will be at Seedling Exchange 11 -1pm today talking about the varieties being planted at The Seedling Exchange. Drop in to learn more about these seeds indigenous to the Adelaide Plains (including Round-leaf Wattle (Acacia acinacea), Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), Native Scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum)) which will be planted across the city following Nature Festival.

Thursday 8th 11am - 1pm

Planting the City: Members of the City of Adelaide Horticulture and Biodiversity Team will be at Seedling Exchange 11 -1pm today talking about the varieties being planted at The Seedling Exchange. Drop in to learn more about these seeds indigenous to the Adelaide Plains (including Round-leaf Wattle (Acacia acinacea), Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), Native Scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum)) which will be planted across the city following Nature Festival.

Friday 9th 11am - 1pm

Planting the City: Members of the City of Adelaide Horticulture and Biodiversity Team will be at Seedling Exchange 11 -1pm today talking about the varieties being planted at The Seedling Exchange. Drop in to learn more about these seeds indigenous to the Adelaide Plains (including Round-leaf Wattle (Acacia acinacea), Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), Native Scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum)) which will be planted across the city following Nature Festival.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

You are welcomed into the space and given a small seed cup.

Moving through the planting station, you will add soil, select a seed, plant it and give it its first water.

From there, you make a choice.

The seed cup can be taken home to germinate and grow, extending the Seedling Exchange into your own home or garden. Alternatively, it can be left within the pavilion, where it joins the growing collection planted by other visitors and is cared for as part of the Seedling Exchange nursery.

The Seedling Exchange Nursery will be shared with the City of Adelaide, and become part of our public, urban green spaces.

Enter → Collect → Add Soil → Choose → Plant → Water → Take Home or Leave to Grow

Visitors do not need previous gardening experience, specialist equipment or a large amount of time. The activity is intended to make the beginning of plant propagation tangible, approachable and memorable.

Recommended Audience

All ages + Families

The Seedling Exchange is designed for a broad public audience and does not require previous knowledge of gardening, horticulture, architecture or ecology.

Children are encouraged to participate with appropriate parent, guardian or supervising adult support.

Physical Accessibility

The pavilion is designed to provide wheelchair-accessible entry and circulation, including an integrated accessible approach to the raised pavilion floor.

The planting activity is arranged to allow participation by visitors with different levels of mobility.

Wheelchair accessible: YES.
NB: Plaza site location area is paved and sloped - thus may be more challenging for wheelchair access overall.

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Visitors

Participation in the core planting activity does not depend upon hearing spoken instruction. The planting sequence is communicated visually within the pavilion and staff will be available to assist.

Suitable for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors: YES

Blind and Low-Vision Visitors

The activity is inherently tactile, involving direct interaction with seed cups, soil, seeds and water. Staff can provide individual verbal guidance through the planting process where required.

The pavilion has not been designed as a specialist vision-access program, and this should not be represented as such. However, staff will support blind and low-vision visitors to participate in the core planting activity.

Blind / low-vision participation: supported with staff assistance

Contact the host of Seedling Exchange