The compact gardener

Who remembers the fleeting enjoyment of receiving a postcard in the mail? Although I haven’t actually sent one in about a million years, I still like to bring some home for my friends from the far-away lands I travel to.

A clever approach to the seemingly lost practice of sending postcards has been revived. The London-based company A Studio for Design adapted a fresh take on conventional greeting cards with Postcarden. It is the charming card-gift hybrid perfect for every occasion — if not just to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring.

The Postcarden comes packaged in illustrated card stock, with an inner growing tray, a packet of cress seeds, and a cardboard display that opens up into a 3D scene. Each card is designed by a different U.K-based artist. Currently available in three designs, each Postcarden represents a different landscape or setting. There’s "Botanical" by Krista Nyberg, "Greenscape City" by Millie Harvey, and "Backyard Garden Allotment" by Sophie Burdess.

After setting up the garden and adding water, seeds should be expected to sprout within three days. The plant, a grassy herb-like fauna, will last approximately two weeks and requires minimal sunlight and care, making it an easily cultivated novelty for anyone — even those of you (myself included) without a green thumb. The website offers an online how-to video that features the Postcarden in action.

The horticulture-based collection of cards sells for $13 each and can be found online at postcarden.com.

— Kate Aenlle