A shop in Southport is selling recyclable greeting cards that you can plant in your garden – with flowers growing in their place.
The ‘Plant Me’ plantable cards are on sale at Doodles Craft Room in Cambridge Walks in Southport town centre.
They are made from post-consumer cotton waste. All people need to do is tear the card, soak for 1-2 days, plant under a thin layer of soil, keep moist and then wait for the flowers to bloom.
The shop is an Aladdin’s cave of unique and beautifully crafted cards, artwork and gifts created by local independent makers in the local area.
It is owned by local artist Dana Howard, who is among business owners in the UK backing the Greeting Card Association’s #Cardmitment campaign.
The initiative is encouraging people to make a commitment to the wellbeing and mental health benefits of sending and exchanging cards.
Doodles Craft Room owner Dana Howard said: “There is nothing better than sending a greeting card to someone to say that you care and that you are thinking about them.
“When the Covid pandemic happened, people weren’t able to see each other very much and we lost that contact.
“Sending greeting cards to people in your life is a great way of showing people how you feel.
“It’s even better when those greeting cards are recyclable!
“Companies are getting much better at making cards that are better suited to recycling or are made using pre-used material.
Dana Howard, owner of Doodles Craft Room in Cambridge Walks in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
“You see a lot more brown greeting cards these days which are recycled.
“We sell a lot of Plant Me cards in Doodles Craft Room, which contain flower seeds.
“You plant the card in your garden and then you get flowers growing.
“It’s beautiful to look out and see the flowers to remind you of the person who sent you the card.
“We sell all kinds of greeting cards here: paper craft, plant me, art cards, all kinds, that have been created by local independent makers.
“By buying cards from our shop, you are supporting local artisan card makers in our area.
“When it’s a special occasion, such as someone’s birthday, sending a text or posting a message on social media is so impersonal.
“To get a card through the post and to be able to look at your cards on the mantelpiece is something special.
“There is a lot more thought to buying and sending the perfect card that you have found for someone to show them how much you care.
“With greeting cards you can get your message across so much better.
“I am very sentimental! I keep all my special cards I have received from people. They always produce lovely memories. You can’t do that with a text!”
Dana Howard, owner of Doodles Craft Room in Cambridge Walks in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
New data from the UK’s Greeting Card Association shows that it’s our mantlepiece that sets British people apart.
Not only do Brits send more greeting cards than any other nation on earth, we also love to put our birthday cards on the mantelpiece and leave them there for weeks.
And September is the month when this really matters – according to the Office of National Statistics, 27th September is the most popular day to be born over the last two decades with eight of the top 10 dates of birth in September, with the other two in early October.
Overseas visitors are often bemused by the sight of cards used to decorate British homes.
In fact GCA research shows we tend to leave our birthday cards up for an average nine days, varying between eight days in Scotland and the north of England and ten days in Wales and Midlands.
But in Wales and the Midlands, one in ten of us will leave them up for a month and overall, 15 per cent of the population across the UK will leave them up for 15 days or more.
And no wonder people like to show off their cards – receiving a card makes people feel loved and appreciated.
“Not only do we Brits love to send cards, we love putting them on show to continue enjoying them and even keep the really special ones tucked away,” said GCA chief executive officer Amanda Fergusson.
“Cards nurture local independent businesses on the high streets we all love, support local charities and organisations in the communities we care for and helps protect the Royal Mail delivery service we all treasure.”
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