Easter Gifts

Easter is such a wonderful time of year. Not only does it have significant social, historical, and religious significance, it's the first true since of spring in our region, and it makes it a perfect time to share gifts of spring with friends and family.

I'm blessed to have so many wonderful friends, near and far, but I have a special group of friends who live only footsteps away. They're the most wonderful group of women, mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends that I could ever hope to have ... and what's better - they love to decorate, garden, and shop. Heaven!

When I first met this group of wonderful ladies, I had endured a long and lonely winter. Scott was in Texas, and I was here, with Abby (as beautiful and loving as she is) alone. I hadn't found it easy to make friends when snow piled up by the foot, and people hunkered down in their homes, or made only quick trips bundeled in coat over coat in and out of stores. These ladies were a generous breath of life and joy that spring (Easter) brought to me after that long, harsh winter alone. So to commemorate our Spring time meeting a little more than 2-years ago, I put together a couple of gifts for them - and thought you might like to put together a few of them to share with your friends, too!

Things you'll need:

1. A planter/pot: plastic, terracotta, concrete, decorative, plain - doesn't matter.

2. A planters trowel, or shovel.

3. Brown paper craft/lunch bags.

4. A mixture of Miracle Grow potting soil, Miracle Grow Seed Starter Mix, and some plant and flower food.

5. Decorative Paper, Ribbon, and natural or colored burlap with jute twine.

6. A packet of seeds.

First, put an even mixture of dirt and seed starter mix into the brown paper craft/lunch bag. Fill the bag up 3/4 of the way, enough to fill an average sized 6-8" pot. Then sprinkle plant and flower fertilizer pelets into the mixture.

Next, take your burlap and cut into strips the width of the paper bag. Make them long enough (about 1 yard) to go around the bag completely and tie at the top with the jute twine. Place the bag into the pot. (The burlap will not cover the bag completely - only the widest sides, leaving the paper to be seen.)

Then use a 24" piece of ribbon to thread through the hole of the gardening trowel, or shovel, and tie at the end - so that the trowel could be hung from hooks after gardening from the ribbon. Place the trowel behind the burlap wrapped bag of soil mixture, and fill the front with seeds and instructions for planting printed on decorative paper to coordinate with your ribbon.

And there you have it - a simple, inexpensive way to greet Spring and pass along a little Easter cheer! Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!