If your kids are wanting to give a unique, hand-made gift this Easter try these gorgeous eggshell gardens! This is also a fun activity for the kids to do over the long weekend to keep them entertained.

DSC_9728Materials you'll need

How to create an eggshell garden

  1. Enjoy a few breakfasts and save up your eggshells! Try to crack the egg toward to top to leave as much of the shell intact as possible.
  2. Once you have your empty eggshells, give them a gentle rinse and let them dry outside of the cardboard carton on some paper towel.
  3. Select your plants. You can pick any small variety, but tough plants are a good choice as they will be happier in the shells for longer. You'll also need to consider how easy they are to divide. We chose a mixture of succulent pups, native violet and baby's tears because they're fairly low-maintenance, easy to separate into smaller plants and will look great in the eggshell garden for weeks. TIP: Moss looks gorgeous in these eggshell gardens, but it requires moist, shady conditions - so if that doesn't suit your other plants, you're best to go with a compact groundcover like baby's tears.
  4. DSC_9730Divide plants into smaller segments so that they're ready to be potted into the eggshells and mist the potting mix with water from a spray bottle to dampen.
  5. Put a small amount of damp growing potting mix in the bottom of an eggshell and position a plant. Cover the roots with more potting medium and clean up the shell carefully with a damp cloth. You can also sprinkle small pebbles on top of the soil if you like that look. Repeat this for each plant and eggshell until you have the right amount for your display. You may choose to fill them all up or leave a few empty like we have. TIP: We used Supersoil All Purpose Potting Mix for our native violets and baby's tears, and Debco Cacti & Succulent Superior Potting Mix for our succulent shells.
  6. Arrange your eggshell garden so that plants are contrasting and pop against one another. You can even have the kids write a Happy Easter message inside the top section of the egg carton for a nice personal touch.
  7. The plants you select will determine how long your eggshell garden lasts. When ready to transplant, you can tap on the eggshell to crack it a little and pop the plant and eggshell straight into a bigger pot or the ground. The eggshell will break down over time, providing nutrients to your plant.

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