Located all throughout the world of Final Fantasy VIII are various Gardens named based on the area in which they are found (Balamb, Trabia, and Galbadia). A Garden is basicly a huge futuristic boarding school created by Sid and Edea Kramer as a way to combat Sorceress Ultimecia. At Garden, students of all ages are educated and trained to fight, ultimately to become good enough to earn the prestigious title of SeeD.

SeeD is the code name for the special combat force of Garden. Students must complete a difficult field exam in order to become one, only the best can procede to be part of this elite army. Those who are granted the position of SeeD act as mercenaries and are sent by Garden to various parts of the world to perform military services in exchange for gil.

Although SeeD are a handy source of income for Garden, that is not their sole purpose. During Edea's life as the Matron of the stone orphanage where Squall grew up, a dying Sorceress Ultimecia appeared in search of a sorceress to pass her powers onto so that she could die in peace. Edea gracefully accepted her fate and inherited those powers so that they would not be passed on to any of the children whom she cared for. A future Squall also appeared to her and planted the idea of Garden and of SeeD in her mind. It was then that Edea realized the danger that was to come. Thus, together with her husband Cid, she materialized the concept and created Garden, knowing that one day her pupils would be destined to fight her and to defeat the dying sorceress who had fatefully appeared on her doorstep.

Squall and his companions are the ones who fullfil this purpose when they defeat Sorceress Ultimecia in the final battle in her time-compressed world.

Another group of SeeD can be found lurking about the world. These SeeD, however, do not live on a Garden but on a ship. The White SeeD Ship to be precise. It is the White SeeD who take Ellone and protect her, keeping her out of grasp of the evil sorceresses who seek her mysterious powers.

When one becomes a Seed not only do they recieve a prestigious title and a shiny new uniform, but also a salary and a rank. SeeD are payed on a regular basis. The amount of their salary depends on their SeeD ranking, which rises and falls based on their actions. In order to earn and maintain a high SeeD rank, one should follow orders and complete missions promptly with as little dawdling and card-playing as possible, and also refrain from running from battles. A written test may also be taken to improve one's rank. More about the test can be found here.

Below is a list of possible SeeD ranks and the respective salaries that each of them recieves.

It is quite clear that Square-Enix got the idea of Garden and Seed from something else--from gardens and seeds! The concept of a garden creating and sending out seeds into other parts of the world can be seen all around us. That is what all plants do in order to survive and reproduce.

That is also basicly what the Gardens in Final Fantasy VIII do. They raise their students to become SeeD, and then send them off on missions to other areas all over the world.

During Seifer's interrogation of Squall in the desert prison, Seifer is determined to find out what the true purpose of SeeD is. You are given the option to have Squall lie, in which he concieves a story about how SeeD's mission is to plant flowers all over the world in hopes of spreading peace.