Wow! It's hard to believe, after the crazy winter that we had here in Virginia, that spring is right around the corner!! Already we've had warmer temps, lighter days, and most importantly ... NO SNOW. If spring hasn't yet sprung in your neck of the woods, never fear, it is on the way. And with the beauty of spring comes the satisfaction of springtime gardening.

 

Are you ready to plant some seeds with your little ones? You don’t need a bunch of store-bought seed starters and supplies to grow plants indoors. Here are some great seed starter projects that use recyclables instead. (Get started now and your plants will be the perfect size for planting over the next couple of weeks.)

 

Newspaper: Take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half so that it’s about 6-8 inches long. Wrap the newspaper around a soda can, fold one end over to make the bottom, remove the can and voila … instant seed starting pot. The best part is that when the seedlings have sprouted you can plant the whole thing in the ground…the newspaper will eventually decompose.

 

Eggshells: Another quick and easy way to grow seeds indoors is to use a clean, empty eggshell as a seed starter. Save the egg shells from your next omelet and rinse them out with a gentle cleanser and water. Store egg shells in their carton, fill with top soil and plant seeds inside. When the seeds start to sprout, plant the egg shell (with the plant inside) right in the ground.

 

Cans/Cartons/Tubes: Need more seed starter pots? Raid your recycling bin and use metal cans, yogurt containers, waster bottles, milk cartons, egg cartons, toilet paper or paper towel tubes to do the trick. The cool thing about using these recyclables is that your kids can decorate them to hold their new treasures. Punch a few holes in the bottom of your recyclables to allow water to drain, fill with soil, plant and seed, and watch it grow. When it comes to plant, gently remove the plant from the container and place it in the ground.