Are you ready for some natural Easter decorating? Bring the spring green of fresh growing grasses and plants into your home with living Easter baskets. Children will enjoy this project, too. It’s easy to do, but plan ahead; the plants will take time to grow to an attractive size. Allow three to four weeks for grasses, or four to six weeks if your baskets will include flowering bulbs.
Living Easter baskets make beautiful centerpieces and lovely gifts. To these baskets—filled with growing grasses; flower bulbs like tulips or irises; or even salad greens, such as lettuce or a mesclun mix—you can add colored Easter eggs, foil-wrapped chocolates, whatever you like!
1. Gather your materials: Easter baskets with or without handles; plastic bags for lining the baskets; gravel or small stones; potting soil; seeds or bulbs—rye and wheat grass work well.
2. Line the baskets with plastic, adjusting to fit. Bread or produce bags are good for this.
3. Place some gravel or stones in the bottoms of the baskets. This will help with drainage. It will also make your baskets more stable, to discourage tipping over.
4. Add a couple of inches of potting soil.
5. Sprinkle seeds over the top, followed by a small amount of additional soil, just enough to barely cover the seeds. Pat the seeds lightly into place.
6. Use a spray bottle to moisten the entire surface with water. You’ll want to keep the seeds from drying out, so rewet them as often as necessary until the small grass plants are well established. You can put a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the basket to form a mini-greenhouse; fold back a corner to let out moisture if the soil is too wet, and remove it altogether when the plants are growing well.
7. Once the plants sprout, place the baskets in a sunny window, safely away from pets and small children.
Before long, you’ll be ready to add the decorating touches of your choice. Then, it’s time to enjoy the springtime beauty of your living Easter baskets!
