credit: Silke Baron via Wikimedia Commons

What do octopus, clownfish, and chickens have in common? They all lay eggs. Both chicken and octopus mothers care for their eggs, while clownfish fathers take on that role in the breeding relationship. And while clownfish and octopus lay hundreds of tiny eggs at a time, chickens only lay one a day, though it is much, much bigger – just the right size to make eggshell planters!

credit: makezine.com

This gardening project is perfect for early spring – peas, spinach, and lettuce can all be started indoors right now, and transplanted outside once they sprout, while more tender plants like herbs and flowers need to be kept inside until the danger of frost has passed.

For this project, you need:

rinsed eggshell halves
soil (I recommend seed starter soil, which is available at any gardening or home improvement store)
seeds
empty egg carton

Simply fill the eggshells with soil, plant a couple of seeds in each, according to each plant’s seed-sowing directions, and place in a sunny, south-facing window or under that extra tank light you can’t bring yourself to get rid of. When you are ready to bring your seedlings outside, gently crush the shell, removing any big pieces that fall off, and plant in your garden.

thank you to Make Magazine for use of their eggshell planter picture!