Grow an Easter Basket

Transcription

1 It s that time of year again. Time to drag the straw-filled Easter bunny wearing overalls and a yellow plaid shirt out of the basement. For you, it might be a tiny bit different. You might be dragging out a straw-filled Easter bunny wearing overalls and a pink plaid shirt. Easter has never been my favorite holiday to decorate for. And this is coming from someone who actually has National Melba Toast Day decorations. I ve spent a lot of time breaking down why I don t like Easter decorations, and it all comes down to my favorite black sweater. Let me explain. Most holidays come with a prearranged, traditional color palette. Christmas is red and green, Halloween is orange and black, Valentine s Day is red and so on. I like most of those colors. I can work with those colors. I wear those colors. Mint green and pale yellow? Uch. They re not my colors. Most of my wardrobe is gray, white and black with the odd bit of coral or red. There isn t a hint of mint anywhere. And since most people, consciously or unconsciously, decorate their homes with colors they like to wear, Easter and I were doomed from the get-go. I also like pretty, natural elements, which, for some reason, the designers of Easter decorations apparently had a group meeting about banning. I don t know what it is about Easter specifically that seduces people with perfectly good taste to throw all their design sense out the window, but it s a genuine phenomenon. IT DOESN T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. There is help. I can cure you of this horrifying design dilemma in just five days. You can create a real, beautiful, worthy-of-your-home Easter decoration in just five days. The live-grass Easter Basket, can, by the way, also double as the greatest Easter basket ever for your kids. Materials 1 package of rye grass 1 basket Garbage bag or other plastic to line the basket Soil Moss (optional) 1/8

2 Directions 1. Line your basket with plastic, then fill it with soil. 2/8

3 2. Trim the plastic so it s level with the soil or just a bit above it 3. Load the soil up with seed. Over-seed, even. 3/8

4 4. If you re using a basket like mine where you can see the plastic and soil from the sides, fill that area with moss. Most baskets won t be like this, though 4/8

5 5. Press the seeds so they re all in contact with the soil. 6. Spray the seeds until they re damp. Don t pour water over them, which will wash the seeds in all different directions and result in patchy grass as unattractive as a 14-year-old boy s first moustache. 5/8

6 7. Cover the top of your basket with plastic. You want to trap as much moisture in there as possible so the seeds will germinate. As soon as the seeds germinate (in as little as two days!), remove the plastic and keep the grass watered. At first, spray the basket and after the grass is established, you can use the tap or a watering can. 8. If you ve done everything correctly, by day five or so you ll have this: 6/8

7 I know it s astonishing. I grew these baskets under my grow lights, but rye grass is pretty forgiving (like a weed) so it does well in just a sunny window as long as you remember, like any grass, you need to keep it watered for optimal growth. Once it s at the point where it needs a haircut, you can give it just a little trim with scissors. 7/8

8 This grass will last for weeks, so you can start it well in advance of Easter. If you have kids, you can grow it in a wicker basket with a handle to act as their Easter basket. If you don t have kids, you can leave it plain as a tabletop decoration or add some twigs and flowers to it for a flower arrangement. If you want, and understand I am not encouraging this, but if you really want, you can even display it with a straw-filled Easter Bunny. Text and photos by Karen Bertelsen Karen Bertelsen is a Gemini Award nominated television host who has appeared on some of Canada s major networks including HGTV, W Network, Slice and MuchMoreMusic. Five years ago she started the blog The Art of Doing Stuff ( as a creative outlet for her writing and endless home projects. The Art of Doing Stuff now receives over half a million views per month and has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Style at Home and Canadian Gardening magazines. 8/8