by Eileen Weber
Have you heard? The days of wrapping your holiday gifts in paper you throw out are over! Take that wad of balled up silver and gold and plant it. Yes, that’s what I said. Put it in the ground and wait for spring. It’s that simple.
Little Kay Gardens provides and eco-friendly alternative to what has typically been, well, a big fat waste. They take their 100% recycled “Gift Wrap That Grows” and embed wildflower seeds.
As early as two weeks, you can begin to see growth. The pre-seeded paper comes with an assortment of flowers like baby snapdragons, black-eyed Susan, and corn poppies. The company, founded by Lynn Shoshani and Jim Johansen, is happy to point out all the environmentally responsible ways the paper avoids pollution.
Stated on their web site and in a press release, the Clean Air Council, an additional five million tons of waste is generated in the U.S. during the holiday. Eighty percent of that extra garbage comes from wrapping paper and shopping bags. In fact, “The Recycler’s Handbook” estimates that “Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.”
To make matters worse, the Eco-Depot Recycling Centre is forced to remind consumers each year that because it “is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter, plastics, etc.,” most wrapping paper cannot be recycled. That means it must be tossed away with regular household garbage, where it winds up sitting in landfills.
What’s great about their paper is that it’s not just for Christmas. They have papers for birthdays, baby showers, Mother’s Day—you name it. And all of those wrappings can be planted. Below are planting instructions from their web site:
- Loosen topsoil of garden or planter to a depth of 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches)
- Place the paper down, cut to size if necessary
- Sprinkle a very light layer of topsoil or peat moss over the paper to hold firmly against wind. Don’t cover with more than 1/8” of soil
- When the paper is in place, soak with a fine mist until the paper is saturated and appears to melt into the topsoil
- Keep well watered - water at least once a day until plants are established 3 to 4 inches high
NOTE: Plants can be thinned out when established and transplanted to other garden areas. Early growth resembles weeds, do not weed area for first 4-8 weeks
Here’s looking forward to spring. Happy planting!
Image courtesy of Little Kay Gardens.
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