Full-bloom fun Issue #33

Greetings from plantable paper

By Shannon Flaherty
Published: September 1st, 2007 | 12:00am

I prefer paper — handwritten notes to keep as memoirs and mementos, newsprint conducive to penciling thoughts in margins, and paperback books open to coffee stains and cozy bedtime reading. Somehow more romantic and meaningful than staring at computer screens and text messaging, it’s the tactile and touchy-feely that many people desire — not to mention a growing need to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Now, thanks to plantable paper, we can have our touchy-feely and recycle it too. What’s more is that plantable paper — often embedded with wildflower seeds — gives its recipient the chance to grow their own flowers. And how sweet and cute are love letters, thank-you cards, invitations, wrapping paper, and wedding favors that can be planted to grow wildflowers? Pretty damn sweet and cute! Even I’d trade love notes saved in a shoebox for fresh wildflowers. Besides, as the ancient poet Rumi wrote, “This outward spring and garden are a reflection of the inward garden.”

WHERE TO SCORE PLANTABLE PAPERS

GREEN FIELD PAPER COMPANY (greenfieldpaper.com)
Based in San Diego, Green Field Paper Company offers their signature Grow-A-Note Greeting Cards. “Send a bouquet for only 41 cents!” touts their Web site. Easy planting instructions appear on the back of each card, along with the seed content. Each handmade card will recycle naturally into the soil as the seedlings grow.

PLANTABLE PAPERS BY BLOOM (plantablepaper.com)
Bloom’s plantable seeded stationery, wrapping paper, and wedding favors are all handmade with recycled cotton and other recycled materials. And just reading their long list of wildflower seeds makes me want to put on a long flowing skirt and twirl around in a field: Toadflax, Catchfly, Shasta Daisy, Mountain Garland, Birds Eye, California Bluebell, Yarrow, Corn Poppy, Red Corn Poppy and Showy Primrose.

BOTANICAL PAPERWORKS (botanicalpaperworks.com)
Founded by a mother-daughter team in Canada, Botanical PaperWorks reminds customers that they can spread the good news that your love is “growing” or your business is “blooming” by using their plantable paper. They even offer wholesale plantable printing paper citing big-name clients such as Starbucks, TimeWarner, and Sony.

YOU!
If you’re crafty and you know it, you can easily find instructions online for how to make your own plantable paper. Thriftyfun.com has a great step-by-step how-to.