HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN SHAMROCKS
with special thanks to Jacqui Dunne and her Junior Infants class in Greystones Educate Together NS, Co. Wicklow
Once upon a time... St. Patrick's Day badges were made from a sprig of live shamrocks, set on a green ribbon. These days, a lot of St. Patrick's Day badges, hats, flags, and decorations are made from plastic they are used for a day and then thrown away.
With millions of people celebrating St. Patrick's Day all over the world all these little plastic knik-knaks add up to make a big problem.
Why is plastic a problem? Plastic is an amazing compund that is so durable and strong that it can take hundreds of years to break down. This is ideal for items that need a long life, but not so good for single use or short life items. Plastic does not break down in nature so it has to be disposed of very carefully or it can cause big problems for wildlife who often mistake it as food, or get tangled up in it.
How to grow your own shamrocks!
We called on our Green Roots Ambassadors (or Green Boots) in Greystones Educate Together to see if it is possible to grow your own shamrocks. We were so impressed with their results.
What you will need
*A plate/ bowl/ pot
*Cotton wool
*Shamrock seeds *You can get shamrock seeds in most garden centres.
*Water
*A teeny weeny bit of patience
What to do
Soak your cotton wool with water so that is damp, but not too soggy, and place it on your plate or in your pot.
Sprinkle your seeds on to the cotton wool.
All you have to do now is wait for your seeds to sprout. In about 7-10 days your shamrocks should be in full bloom.
We'd love you to Show Us Your Shamrocks!
Take pictures of your process and email them to us at info@thegreenrootsproject.ie or share them on social media using the hashtags #thegreenrootsproject and #showusyourshamrocks and we will share them in our online galleries
Make it fun and grow your shamrocks in the most unusual, funny or strangest place you can think of.
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