Sprout a Natural Grass Easter Basket

Instead of using plastic imitation grass in an Easter basket, why not give your child a natural Easter basket, filled with sprouted wheat berry grass?

Easter, as well as other traditional spring holidays, is a celebration of rebirth and renewal. With a natural grass basket, you can further honor the meaning of rejuvenation and hope inherent to the holiday. If you start at least one week in advance, you can have a lush, living blanket of grass in time for Easter Sunday.

Directions

If you only have one week to grow the grass, soak spring wheat berries in warm water overnight. If you have two weeks before Easter, proceed to the next step; soaking the berries isn’t necessary.
Find a glass pie pan, jar, or other container, to fit inside the Easter basket. Put at least 1 1/2 inches of potting soil into the bottom of the container and spread evenly. Scatter the soil generously with spring wheat berries and cover lightly with soil.
Gently yet thoroughly water the seeded soil and place in a warm sunny location.
Make certain the soil remains moist at all times during germination.

For added decoration, you might wrap the basket handle with ribbons, lace, delicate silk, or dried flowers. Spring bulbs like snowdrops planted along with the wheat grass will add blooming beauty to your basket.

Adapted from a 1993 Nova Natural Catalog.

The Nova Natural catalog offers natural Easter egg plant-based dyes of deep, rich, warm colors. The set include five colors—yellow, orange, red, green, blue and instructions with some tips, special coloring techniques and more. The dyes are very easy to use.

Read more: Crafts & Hobbies, Easter, Holidays, Life

By Annie B. Bond

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

12:46AM PDT on May 22, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Camilla V.

12:00AM PDT on May 22, 2011

noted

SuS NoMail Plez P.

11:03PM PDT on May 4, 2011

I must add that all my cats are indoor as they are either rescued from TRAMA or Ferral. The Ferral took 2 years to trust me, as I fed him EVERY day/night. I made a shelter for the winter...but he was terrified. HE WAS TERRIFED because after he now loves OUR family refuses to go outside. If you saw his X-Rays you would understand. EVERY bone in his body has been broken...man not animal. Just saying, this is way offtrack from Easter. It is a reality to my new home!!!

10:59PM PDT on May 4, 2011

I just had a thought...there are several cats who roam around my area eating "poisoned" greens. My cats are all indoors and love their salads. SPOILED ROTTEN as they should be:= ) I think I will get larger than pie tins...put a potted flower in the center...and offer the wheat to my furry friends.

10:55PM PDT on May 4, 2011

TY...HOW COOL!

Kath R.

1:34PM PDT on Apr 24, 2011

I absolutely love this idea!

Barbara L.

6:43AM PDT on Apr 21, 2011

I do this each year in my Sunday school class. The kids take theirs home and I bring home the classroom grass - and my cats love reaping the wheat grass harvest!

Ruth R.

10:18PM PDT on Apr 19, 2011

I like these thoughts. Saved, emailed to save.

10:16PM PDT on Apr 19, 2011

These twp thoughts I like. Saved, emailed to save.

Linda J.

9:01PM PDT on Apr 19, 2011

I bought cat greens for my cat and he loves them.