Planting instructions
How do I grow my flower from my paper?
The seeds need winter.
Put the paper on the ground in the late fall/early winter. Pack a little snow on top and it will sprout in June next year.
Or, you may cold/moist stratify the seeds in your freezer or fridge. Details at this link
Which flower will my seeded paper grow?
Milkweeds are the only plants that monarch butterflies can lay their eggs on.
What does it look like?
She’s a tall flower (4 feet) with fragrant purple flowers in clusters in a sphere (a bit like a hydrangea or alum) big broad leaves. The flowers become pods in the fall and the seeds fly away on silken hairs on the breeze. They also spread underground by rhizome.
I don’t want the plant at home. Can I let it grow somewhere else?
Absolutely! The plant belongs in our climate and is important food for many pollinators. Leave your paper along a forest path, in a neglected garden bed in the city, in a weedy patch anywhere. Just be careful not to place it where someone will mow it. You could also mail it to a friend who would like it in their garden. Keep it in North America. This plant does not belong on other continents and will cause ecological problems there!
What if I want more milkweed and other native plants?
There is a local retailer selling native plants collected from seed in Cliffcrest (Kingston/St. Clair East)
What is my paper made from?
There is a combination of plants and paper in yours:
Paper: Used sketchbook & watercolour paper
Plants: Typical undesirable garden weeds (dandelion, forget-me-not, lily of the valley, creeping charlie, creeping bellflower, and english ivy)
& beneficial/important plants in our landscape, but which were in the wrong place in my garden, for instance, too tall too close to the road and could impede traffic sight-lines (Goldenrod, Asters, Milkweed, Virginia Creeper)
WITHOUT THE SEEDS
Can I write or draw on it?
Yes you can! Charcoal, chalk pastel, watercolour, and crayons work best.
We hope you love your paper & plant!
Echo