valo at home day twelve: create - cultivate

With daffodils peering from greening fields and robins calling from the trees above, this time of year has us eager for warm days ahead.

The combination of spring weather and focus on the home front has us pondering the cultivation of the green space that surrounds—whether it’s acreage in the backyard or a sunny windowsill.

Gardening can invite us to get messy, experiment, and create (plus, there’s nothing better than the feeling of watching sprouts pop-up from the ground below!).

Today, we invite you to sow your own seeds. No matter your ambitions for a green thumb, this project invites you to use what you have on hand to cultivate your own green friends (thank you to our pals at Wolfe’s Neck Farm for the idea and instructions!).

1. Start with gathering a few empty eggshells, a leftover egg carton, scissors, soil, and seeds (you can use what’s leftover from last year’s garden, grass seed, a packet from the farm store, or venture out to collect acorn shoots or flower heads—just use what you can stumble upon). Be sure you give your eggshells a rinse and let them fully dry before getting started.

2. Cut your egg carton. Then trim down the edges and the centers, so the rims of the carton are not quite as high.

3. Next, add in your soil, filling each cup to about ¾ of the way to the top. If you don’t have any potting soil, head to the backyard, or sidewalk, and dig up a small grass spot. Just be sure to sift out any grass materials, rocks, or stones. Once your soil is in, press down gently to pack it down.

4. Now that your eggshells are full, add in your seed.

5. Next, cover up the seed with some more soil, almost to the brim! Then pack lightly with a finger.

6. You’re almost done! Water with a spray mist bottle or a dropper and put in a sunny spot.

When your seeds sprout, snap a pic and share them with us using #valomaine! We'd love to see what you've grown.

If you come along and post a photo and tag @valomaine on Instagram or Facebook, we'll enter you in a raffle to win a prize--like a gift card from our friends at Rosemont Market & Bakery or a year-long subscription from the good folks at Taproot Magazine.

Ready to dive in?

Each evening of valo at home, we'll be sharing an email with the next day's spark of valo inspiration. Simply click here to share your email, and we'll make sure you're looped in! You can also forward this post to a friend and invite them to come along. The more the merrier.