Grow Your Valentine a Healthy and Colorful Treat

All you need is a container with drainage holes, well-drained potting mix and red lettuce seeds. Fill the container with the potting mix. Sprinkle the lettuce seed over the soil surface, Lightly cover with potting mix and gently water. Loosely cover with plastic to keep the soil moist and reduce the need to water.

Place in a warm bright location, keep the soil slightly moist, and wait for the seeds to sprout. Then move your plant to a warm sunny location as soon as the seedlings push through the soil. You will have the start of a healthy windowsill garden to give your Valentine.

Make your gift a bit more special by selecting a decorative tin or use paints and permanent markers to decorate plastic or terra cotta pots.

And if your Valentine loves to garden – give them all the makings and let them grow their own gift.

A bit more information: There are many red leaf lettuce varieties to choose from. Select one you like for your Valentine and save the leftover seeds for the garden. Red Sails with deep burgundy over green ruffled leaves is usually available in garden centers and of course catalogues. New Red Fire has more intense red ruffled leaves and is heat tolerant and slow to bolt (go to seed), making it a good choice for summer plantings as well.