January of 2011. I was not feeling the New Year vibe. I realized then that for the gardener, the New Year comes when we can once again dip our hands into the soft earth, and I made a resolution to make a big deal about spring when it arrived.

And I did. That spring, Davin and I made our own holiday cards and sent them out to friends. Each card included a packet of seeds and a piece of paper with simple instructions for growing them. I chose mesclun mix, an assortment of easy, quick-growing, cut-and-come-again leafy salad greens that are harvested early while the plants are young and tender. I felt confident that friends with a wide range of living spaces and varied gardening experience would be able to handle it.

The mix was simple to prepare. In a bowl, I mixed together several packets of assorted, easy-growing leafy greens. Some were purchased and others were self-saved from the previous growing season. I then divided the mix between several small, coin-sized envelopes.

Mesclun Mix Suggestions:
• Mild flavours: assorted lettuce varieties, beets, Swiss chard, kale, tatsoi, pak choy, kohlrabi, spigarello, and cabbage.
• Spicy flavours: Daikon, radish, mizuna, cress, Giant red mustard, ‘Green Wave’ mustard, and arugula.

I suggest checking out the Lettuce and Salad Greens Growing Guide for more info.

This year, I thought it might be nice to share this new tradition by making our cards available to all of you as a free printable download. I’ve also included the informational handout and seed packet sticker labels, but feel free to replace them with something else if you prefer, or leave the seeds out altogether.

Putting the Card Together

Download the following files and print. I used heavyweight, matte card stock for the card (specifically Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte), lightweight, matter paper for the instruction sheets (specifically Epson Presentation Paper), and white, Avery 2×4″ mailing labels #5163 for the packet stickers.

I suggest using a wood or bone folder (hint: the dull end of a butter knife works, too) to score the center folding line first, before cutting the card.

Divide the instructional sheet into four and slip one into each card.

• Download the Springtime greeting card here
• Download the Mesclun Mix Instructional Sheet here
• Download the Seed Packet Labels here

[Disclosure: This post was not sponsored by Epson, Avery, or anyone else. These are all products I use regularly and had on hand in my office supply. However, I do earn a small commission if items are purchased through the affiliate links.]