Mother Earth’s Easter Basket

Grass Bsket

Easter Sunday is approaching, we are in the season of Lent for those who celebrate.

One of my favorite Easter activities is growing our own Easter baskets. Children love to set up the basket with soil and seed and observe the wonder of water swelling seeds to burst forth with life.

Over the years, my children have grown grass in tuna cans wrapped in water color painting paper, clay pot bases and origami baskets made of water color paintings at school. At home, I like to use a basket. During the year, I keep an eye out for baskets at my local recycle store. After Easter, we plant the grass outdoors.

Now is the time to set up the seeds for Mother Earth’s Easter basket. It takes ten to fourteen days to have some good thick growth of grass.

What’s needed?

• Wheat, rye or spelt berries, these can be found in healthy food stores.
• Marsha Johnson of  our Waldorf Home Educators  likes to add nasturtiums, lettuces, cress and herbs to her baskets.
• Cat Grass seed is wheat grass, these packets are usually available on the seed display stands found everywhere in spring.
• A basket, lined with thick plastic, from a heavy duty bag or a plastic container or a used basket from a floral shop with a plastic insert also works well
• Soil
• Plastic wrap to cover it and create a “greenhouse” for sprouting
• A spray bottle or mister

How to set it up?

• Line the basket with  plastic.

• Fill it with soil.

• When the soil is at room temperature, give it a good watering and cast seeds all over the top.

• Cover it with the plastic wrap.

• Put it in a warm sunny place.

• Wait and watch…
• When the shoots begin to appear, mist them with the spray bottle daily