Grow-your-own greeting cards

Online green and design communities have been buzzing this month about new Postcarden greetings cards: small, easily shippable packets that pop up into a working garden. Below: more about Postcarden, two alternative sprouting cards, and a DIY tutorial for making your own.

New Postcarden greeting cards, created by London company A Studio for Design, have featured on design blogs and green sites like Treehugger and the Mother Nature Network. These kits arrive as small, flat packages that transform into mini living gardens (choose Allotment, City, or Botanical).

Simply unfold the "carden," add water and the included packet of cress seeds, and place in a warm spot. The edible cress will grow within two weeks.

Postcardens can only be shipped within the European Union, but sign up for a mailing list to be alerted if and when additional shipping destinations are added.
http://www.postcarden.com/

Bloomin' Flower Cards
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Bloomin' Flower Cards started small in 1995 and now prints cards in seven languages and sells worldwide. The company uses post-consumer paper and natural inks and pigments to create its sprouting cards, which are printed on seeded paper ready to be planted. Choose from a wide range of colors, seed mixes, and card styles, including wish cards, invitations, and garden tags.
http://www.bloomin.com

Green Field Paper
Grow A Note greetings cards from Green Field Paper in San Diego, California, are printed on seeded paper and come in a range of styles, including a letterpress woodcut series and a new collection with images of honeycombs and other natural scenes. Additional products include wrapping paper and personalized business cards. Buy online, or visit the "Our Retailers" link to find stores selling Green Field Paper products around the world.
http://www.greenfieldpaper.com

Handmade plantable greeting card
On March 9, craft blog Make and Takes shared this tutorial for making your own seed paper to use as a greeting card. A hands-on project with plenty of room for creativity, but not for the DIY-phobic.
http://www.makeandtakes.com/handmade-plantable-greeting-card