Eggzotic
Egg Plant
Written By Catherine Newman
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Those little ceramic eggshell planters are adorable, but isn't your trash often full of actual—and free—eggshells? Eggshells make lovely miniature seed pots happy to host a botanical magic show of sprouting. Once the sprouts germinate, just plant your seedlings, shell and all, in a garden bed.
Step 1
Poke a drainage hole in the bottom of an egg with a safety pin or, if you happen to have some gadgets left over from a previous century, an ice pick. Make sure you wiggle the pin a bit so the membrane is pierced and the fluid can drain.
Step 2
Use the side of a spoon to tap all the way around the top of the egg until it cracks off like a lid. Dump the egg itself into a bowl for another use (scrambled eggs, say), then wash the shell out with a bit of mild dish soap, rinse it well, and let it dry.
Step 3
Use a teaspoon to fill the shell with potting soil, then set it in the egg carton—or a compartment cut from the carton—or in a small vase, jar, or egg cup.
Step 4
Let your child select some seeds and plant a few in each shell according to the directions on the package. Water (using a spray bottle to ensure the seeds don't wash away) and set on the windowsill to sprout, usually a week or two.
Tip:
If you want to up the cuteness quotient, plant grass seed, which will look like hair—especially if you use permanent markers to draw a face on the eggshell. For an exquisitely simple project, leave the shell plain and plant some pretty nasturtiums, or try planting herbs such as basil, parsley, or cilantro, which you can use to season your eggs.
