Unveiled at Kew’s Wakehurst site, in celebration of the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25th anniversary, Seed Stories, is an outdoor installation by Kristina Pulejkova. A tribute to conservation and science, Seed Stories features a series of four sculptural “pollinator hotels” serving as both aesthetic focal points and functional refuges for hundreds of bees navigating Britain’s increasingly challenging climate.
Crafted from untreated marine plywood and cedar, the installations blend into their surroundings. The structures have antifungal properties and natural aromas designed to keep bees safe during heatwaves. Each structure has been calibrated—with entrances and colour choices informed by scientific data on bees visual spectrum (favoring blues, yellows and violets) to encourage specific pollinator species to nest and pollinate. These sculptural habitats also double as research tools, trapping pollen so scientists can monitor which tree species attract particular bees.
The installation features an AR digital storytelling experience for visitors, sharing compelling content centred on the themes of biodiversity, food security and ecology.
Seed Stories is part of Seedscapes, a summer-long exhibition running from 4 July to 14 September 2025 at Wakehurst, Kew’s botanic garden.
