I have no green thumb – so bad in fact that I often joke I have a brown thumb; plants tend to wither under my care.

But Travis received a cute set of flower seeds embedded in paper flowers in a goodie bag recently. Hoping to start him off with a better knack for gardening than I have, I decided we’d give the project a try!

First, the paper flowers needed to soak overnight in water. Travis was intrigued already, even having no idea what came next!

Next we needed dirt, so I filled three containers on our balcony. Travis had great fun ripping up the paper flowers and planting them under a thin layer of soil, wondering where the colors had disappeared to.

Every morning thereafter, we diligently headed outside with a watering can, and we were rewarded with small shoots within a week!

Although we still have no flowers, just green stems and leaves, Travis loves taking care of his plants each morning. “I can look at them a little longer?” he’ll ask, even once the watering is done for the day. I do hope we see colorful blossoms eventually!