planting wheat berries

last year, i had a spring party to plant wheat grass. this year, i could not find wheat grass seeds anywhere in new england. so, i chose to plant wheat berries {almost the same thing – i also used them for this recipe} instead. the only difference: you must soak wheat berries to help them start to sprout. this is not necessary with wheat grass seeds. fyi: you should be able to find wheat berries and/or wheat grass seeds for about $1/pound at most whole food/natural grocery stores.

our kiddos look forward to this little planting tradition every year + i like using the wheat grass for decor on easter sunday.

• rinse wheat berries thoroughly before placing them in a bowl and covering them with twice as much water as there are wheat berries. place a towel or cheesecloth over the bowl and let sit for at least eight hours.
• rinse the wheat berries and allow them to remain damp (but not wet) for an additional 12 hours. during this time period, rinse them at least once. after this time period, the wheat berries should have begun to sprout.

• fill your pots with good planting soil – almost to the top.
• spread the sprouted wheat berries across the surface of the soil. the wheat berries should cover the entire area and should be very close to one another in a single layer.

• cover the wheat berries with about 1/2″ of soil, this is mostly to keep them out of direct sunlight while they continue sprouting. mist the wheat berries with water. {i used a water bottle, it worked great for indoor watering. and, made it easy for the kiddos to help water each day.}
• continue growing for an additional four to five days, watering daily. at this point, the wheatgrass should be 3-6 inches tall! it can be harvested for juices, or trimmed for decor – either way, enjoy!

in one of KJ’s eggshells, he had the idea to plant a single wheat grass sprout. then when it grew a few inches, he added a little face to his baby egg with a single strand of hair!

this year, i made a lace-garland by simply pulling out some left-over lace i had + kabob sticks! how easy is that? no cutting little triangles, no sewing! plus, i used toothpicks for mini flags – with extra pieces of ribbon/lace.

i found lace tape at target {i can’t find it online, so if you go to the store look in the scrapbook/sticker section} and wrapped it around kabob sticks — presto! instant lace flags! isn’t that what we all want? something fast to create & darling – there you have it! ::smiles::

…now i’m thinking of all the other fun things to create with lace tape. cheers to pretty spring tables!

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has the spring planting bug hit you? i would love to spend every day out in a garden. last year i planted all kinds of spring annuals in our patio pots. this year, i might find a few pots just for tomatoes here on our front porch in boston. i just love homegrown tomatoes for fresh bruschetta. my only concern: the ample wildlife might eat the plants!

{photos by me.}