What Are Plantable Greeting Cards & How Do They Work? | Greet ’n Grow
Let’s face it: the traditional greeting card aisle can be a bit of a guilt trip. You spend $8 on a card covered in plastic glitter and generic text, hand it over, and then what? It sits on a mantle for a week before embarking on a one-way trip to a Canadian landfill.
When I moved to the beautiful Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, surrounded by the raw magic of Canadian nature, my perspective shifted. I started gardening, obsessed with how bees, flowers, food, and humans all connect. One day, standing in a local drug store looking at an $8 price tag on a generic card, my "garden brain" took over: Do you know how many seeds I could buy for eight bucks?!
A quick internet rabbit hole later, I discovered seed paper. I was floored. How did everyone not know about this? I found my purpose on the spot: to show Canadians that greeting cards can be eco-friendly, affordable, and full of life. That’s how Greet ’n Grow was born.
If you’re new to the world of plantable cards, you probably have a few questions. Let’s dish the dirt on how they work, how to plant them, and why they are a total game-changer for Canadian gift-givers.
What Exactly Is a Plantable Greeting Card?
At its root, a plantable card is a greeting card that pulls double duty. Instead of standard cardstock, we use post-consumer recycled paper that has been embedded with live, viable seeds during the papermaking process.
Our cards are printed using eco-friendly, water-based inks that won’t harm the soil or the pollinators. You write your message, give it to someone you love, and once they’ve read your heartfelt (and usually punny) words, they can literally plant the card in the ground.
Behind the Scenes: The Seeds We Use
We don't just throw any random seeds into our paper. Because we are a proudly Canadian company, we are incredibly mindful of our beautiful, diverse ecosystems.
🌸 The Wildflower Mix
Our wildflower cards feature a blend of 6 flower types (Bird's Eye, Clarkia, Black-Eyed Susan, Catchfly, Sweet Alyssum, and Snapdragon). Every single one of these is non-GMO, non-invasive, and either native or naturalized to Canada. They love our climate and are designed to keep our local bees buzzed and happy!
The Canadian Reality Check: Canada is massive. An ecosystem in sunny BC is vastly different from a rocky terrain in Newfoundland. While our seeds are safe and non-invasive nationwide, we always encourage eco-conscious plant parents to check their local environment or plant their cards in a pot to give them the best controlled start!
🥬 Veggies & Herbs
We also offer kitchen staples like Basil, Dill, and Lettuce. Growing your own food from a card is incredibly rewarding—though nature does like to play jokes sometimes! Early on in our journey, we accidentally got our paper stocks mixed up. I planted what I thought was a row of lettuce in my garden, only to have a bunch of carrots pop up! Hey, at least it keeps life exciting.
How Do They Work? (Step-by-Step Planting Guide)
You don’t need a massive green thumb to make these bloom. In fact, an absolute succulent beginner can do it. Here is how to take your card from mantle to dirt:
- Tear it up: Once you’re done admiring the card, tear the paper into small pieces. (It’s strangely therapeutic, trust us).
- Plant it shallow: Place the pieces under a thin layer of soil—about $1/8" to $1/2" deep is the sweet spot. You can do this in your garden bed or a pot.
- Water, water, water: This is the most important step! Keep the paper and soil damp, especially during the first 10 to 14 days. The paper needs to decompose so the seeds can break free.
- Soak up the sun: Place it in a sunny spot and watch your words literally bloom into life.
If you want the specific planting instructions by seed type, you can find the full guide here.
From Small Apartments to Big Gardens: Why It Matters
One of my absolute favourite things about running Greet ’n Grow is seeing how these cards bring people together. Every single year at our local market booth, a sweet senior couple comes by to buy a Lettuce seed Christmas card. They send it to their son who lives in a small city apartment, alongside a small pot. Every winter, he grows fresh apartment balcony lettuce from his parents' holiday card.
Whether your recipient has a sprawling backyard in Alberta or a cozy windowsill in Toronto, plantable cards fit into any lifestyle.
Ready to watch your feelings grow?
The next time you want to celebrate a birthday, say thank you, or just make someone laugh, don't buy a card that gets thrown away. Give them a gift that keeps on giving.
Explore our newest batch of punny, plantable greeting cards at Greet ’n Grow and let’s help Canadian gardens bloom, one card at a time