Clever people, the Dutch: What better way to acknowledge a kind deed or thought in this green age than ‘Greetings That Grow.’ The packaged 2-in-1 of greeting card and gift come in six choices to suit the occasion. Each includes seeds, a coir disk planting medium, along with a 4-inch (10 cm) terracotta pot. Choose dwarf sunflower seeds to say ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘Thinking of You’ with, of course, forget-me-not or sage. ‘Thank You’ acknowledgment comes with pansy or thyme, sweet pea for ‘Celebration’ and tea for ‘Friendship.’ If none of these express exactly the right thought, then write you own on a blank card accompanied by basil seed. Your local friendly garden centre is the place to look for these neat ideas.
There you may also discover from the same source ‘Mini Friendship’ greetings that grow, a great way to show someone you really care. This range features a choice of flowers or herbs: lucky clover, forget-me-not, wood violets, strawberries, sunrose, thyme, basil, oregano or dwarf sunflower. Also included is a card with space to inscribe “To and From.”
And for those concerned about such things, the seeds in these are natural and untreated. This also applies to a new indoor gardening idea of heirloom veggies and organic basils which come packaged with a galvanized planter measuring 10” x 4” x 3.5”, just the right size for a sunny windowsill. Included are the seeds for heirloom cherry tomatoes ‘Red Currant’ and ‘Wild Cherry’; heirloom tomatoes ‘Brandywine,’ ‘Green Zebra’; organic basils ‘Italian Genovese,’ ‘Sweet Cinnamon,’ ‘Mrs. Burn’s Lemon’; and the heirloom peppers ‘Pretty in Purple’ and ‘Spanish Padron’. Dare we suggest these would make great gifts this upcoming season, especially for your condo-bound buddies?
Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.
