This article contains and ideas for spring gifts of plants and flowers that children can prepare and give. Celebrate the growing season with these gifts of joy.
Children love playing in the dirt and gardening is a chance for them to learn about plants and how they grow and also to enjoy a useful dirt-play activity.
Giving gifts of spring flower seeds and bulbs with planting directions attached is a fun and simple project, but worthwhile for the smiles they will bring!
Here are some ideas for spring flowering gifts.
A real treat as a gift a child can prepare and give to a grandparent, school teacher, Sunday school leader, nursing home patients, hospital patient, shut-in, or to classmates and friends is a blooming surprise.
Canned surprises:
For this project the children will need:
- some canning jars
- lids and rings
- a bag of potting soil
- ribbons in bright spring colors
- several packets of flower seeds.
The project is simple. Fill the jar with potting soil about two thirds full. Open a packet of seeds and put about four seeds in the soil about one fourth inch deep. Now put on the lid and tighten the ring. Tie a ribbon around the ring and add a piece of paper with these instructions:
Blooming surprise. Please remove my lid, water me lightly, and set me in a sunny window. Keep an eye on me and watch me sprout and bloom!
For a little bit more involvement on the part of the recipient, attach the seed packet and let him or her plant the seeds himself. Only measure the potting soil into the jar and add lids and ribbons. Anticipation is half the fun.
Bulbs in bags to plant:
Lawn and garden centers sell bags of bulbs of all sorts. The gladiola bulbs have about 15 bulbs for around five dollars, sometimes less. With some Ziploc bags and one bulb and a cup of potting soil each, a child can treat 15 friends to a gardening experience. Tie a bow and tape it to each bag with the directions for planting in a flower bed or flower pot.
Bulbs blooming in boxes:
Another blooming surprise idea is to open a bag of bulbs (tulip, daffodil, amaryllis, iris or gladiola, cannas, calla lilies, etc.) Pot each in a small terra cotta pot or in a small cardboard gift box. The bulb should be placed with the flat side down and covered with soil. Tie on a ribbon. Add a card and similar instructions. Punch a hole in the card and run the ribbon through it to attach it to the pot or box.
Potted cuttings to share:
Pot small cuttings of ivy that have been rooted in water. Tie on a ribbon and stick into the pot a cut flower and add a ribbon to fancy it up.
Flower garden mat:
Press seeds into deepened thick raw paper (handmade paper—see a hobby or craft store) Allow the seeds to dry on the paper. Add these instructions and give the flower mat gift in a decorated envelope.
Directions: Place the paper mat on top of potting soil in a shallow rectangular shaped pot. Cover with one half inch of potting soil, water and set in a sunny place. The mini-flower garden will sprout and bloom.
There are many ways to enjoy spring, sharing spring flowers is one of the sweetest!
