For answers to questions about Botanical PaperWorks and plantable seed paper, open the tabs below to find the most frequently asked question for each topic. This page is a resource for information about plantable paper. If you don't find the answers that you are looking for, please contact us. We're happy to help!
Plantable paper is special handmade paper embedded with wildflower seeds. When the paper is planted in a pot of soil, wildflowers will grow from the paper.
Please note that because our paper is made by hand, there may be a slight variation in the thickness from sheet to sheet. Due to the post-consumer waste fiber content, a slight variation in the shade of the paper may also occur.Â
Place your seed paper on soil that is slightly compressed, but not too hard-packed. Add 1/8 inch of soil on top of the paper and give it a good drink of water. After that, make sure it’s always moist and in a sunny spot. You should see sprouts within 7-10 days! Read more about how plantable paper works.
Our facility is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Â Click here to get the address and map to our facility. Â The paper is manufactured right here on site.
Yes. Seed paper is made from 100% recycled post-consumer and post-industrial paper.
The term Deckle Edge refers to the distinctive, feathery edge of handmade paper. It occurs when the handmade paper is made and enhances the overall look of the paper. When purchasing bulk plantable paper, you can choose from 7 different sizes, all of which have deckled edges. If you don’t like the deckled edge, choose our pre-trimmed 8.5×11 or 11×17 sheets.
The handmade seed paper at Botanical PaperWorks is specially made to be strong. We use high-quality beating equipment, a custom-built press to bond fibers together and a special drying system to apply pressure to the paper for an additional 12 hours to complete the bonding of the fibers. These production steps produce a smooth, flat and strong piece of seed paper.
Absolutely! We have done mailing tests which show that the handmade plantable paper envelopes hold up as well as machine-made envelopes. They are a beautiful addition to plantable wedding invitations.
We recommend using clear tape to affix labels and stamps. We also recommend removing them before planting the paper.
For best germination results, seed paper should be planted within 2 years. It will still grow beyond that, but the germination rates will decline after that period. Store in a cool, dry place, to preserve the germination rates as long as possible.
Our largest size of paper that we stock is 11.5″ x 17.5″. For more information on available paper sizes and colors, see our seed paper products.
Most writing instruments write well on Botanical PaperWorks’ plantable seed paper, including ballpoint, rollerball and calligraphy markers. Test a new pen on a sheet of seed paper before beginning your project to confirm the results.
Plantable seed paper from Botanical PaperWorks is flat and even, due to our proprietary production methods. You will achieve good results when printing on seed paper with these methods:
Run the press slower than you would for a machine-made paper, because of the bumpy surface due to the embedded seeds. Before starting your print run, please test your printer to ensure that you are getting the desired level of quality on the plantable paper.
For more information on printing on Botanical PaperWorks’ seed paper, read Plantable Paper Printing Guidelines and Custom Seed Paper Orders.
The following is a list of our current available seed paper colors, and the Pantone Number that most closely matches. Because seed paper is handmade, color may slightly vary from batch to batch.
Yes you can request a sample of our paper and our products. Please contact us to request samples.
All seed paper from Botanical PaperWorks is 100% made with donated material from a variety of sources such as local schools and business to help save trees and reduce waste sent to landfills. A large amount of the paper we are recycling into seed paper is also originally made from recycled material to be as eco-friendly as possible.
The bulk of the content is:
We also use envelope clippings, which are 10%, 30% and 100% recycled content all mixed together.
Yes. The inks we print with are water-based and the dyes in the ink are organic and readily decompose. We have done soil testing with ALS Environmental, one of the largest environmental laboratories in the world, and found that the soil in which the printed piece was planted easily met CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) guidelines.
Spring is the best time to plant if you live in an area where the ground does not freeze. However, fall is ideal if you live in a climate where the ground stays frozen for several months. Botanical PaperWorks seed paper can be planted indoors year-round in a pot of soil near a window that gets plenty of sunlight.
Yes, Botanical PaperWorks only uses seeds that are tested and approved for planting in Canada, the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and other countries worldwide.
We are accredited in the Canadian Phytosanitary Certification Program for Seeds (CPCPS) and are registered as a U.S. Exporter in the program. This means we ensure that the seeds brought into our facility are tested for purity by a CFIA or AOSA (Association of Official Seed Analysts) accredited seed testing laboratory to ensure that it meets the noxious weed requirements of the U.S. Federal Seed Act and can be imported into the United States.
Yes, Botanical PaperWorks plantable seed paper only contains seeds that are of the highest quality and germination. All the seeds we handle are NON-GMO (genetically modified organism).
No. None of the seeds from Botanical PaperWorks are considered invasive in North America.
Please use the method that you prefer – place your order for plantable paper, wedding stationery and seed paper favors through this website, contact us by telephone or by email. Our website is open 24 hours a day. Or if you’d like to contact us by phone, click here for contact information and office hours.
Botanical PaperWorks accepts payment by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, money order and check. Â Orders are prepaid.
Some credit card providers in the United States apply a nominal transaction fee to international purchases. While this charge is unrelated to Botanical PaperWorks, it often appears on credit card statements as: International Transaction Fee – Botanical PaperWorks.
The transaction fee is not a charge from Botanical PaperWorks; it is a charge directly from your credit card provider. If you have questions about the fee, contact your credit card provider. If you still have questions, Botanical PaperWorks’ customer care is happy to help!
Once the order has been placed online any changes need to be requested by phone or email, so that we can make the change before your order goes into production. We will always try and accommodate any changes you wish to make to your order whenever possible.
Yes, your information is secure. We are PCI-DSS compliant, which is the data security standard for the payment card industry.
No. If your raster based file (JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF) is provided to us with low resolution, there is no way for us to improve the quality for you. If you send a high quality file (300 dpi or higher at correct size), then we can promise high quality print results.
Logos and graphic files are best provided as PDFs with the original elements in vector format for optimal results at any size.
Artwork set-up fees cover the process of our print department setting up your artwork for printing on seed paper and include a digital proof for your approval before going to print. They do not include custom layouts or graphic design work such as typesetting and formatting, color adjustments or placement of various graphics and text. Your artwork must be designed to product specifications and in-line with our artwork guidelines.
You can upload up to two files on products that are custom printed with your artwork.
JPG, PNG, PDF and ZIP files are accepted but high-quality PDFs are preferred.
If you have more than two files for printing, or would like to submit an Illustrator file, please create a zip file and upload that. Â
Yes, we can print QR codes and barcodes. We recommend making them at least 1″ in size, so they can be scanned easily once printed on seed paper since it has a texture. Some barcodes may need to be larger than that even if they’re super detailed. Our team will advise. We can also test your QR to make sure they work once printed on seed paper.
You will receive an email with your tracking number once the order has shipped.
At this time, UPS is unable to deliver packages to PO boxes or RR boxes. However, if you supply us with your fire address UPS will be able to deliver your plantable paper products to you.
The order does not have to ship to the billing address. Â We are able to ship to a different address if you prefer.
A signature is not required, but you may request it by adding a comment to the web notes box in the checkout process.
The plantable seed paper, invitations, favors and other seed paper products of Botanical PaperWorks are shipped around the world. See below for a list of countries that we have shipped our seed paper products to. We can ship to any destination in North America, the European Union, and many other countries worldwide. Please note that countries outside of these locations may require you to apply for an entry permit.
Product shipped to the United States arrives duty-free. We take care of the customs documents and freight arrangements. All you need to do is place your order and we take care of the rest! Countries outside of North America charge duty and taxes, typically upon delivery. Please check with your country’s customs office for more information, and feel free to contact us if you would like a shipping quotation.
For general information on our shipping guidelines and international orders, please click here.
Yes. Botanical PaperWorks works to ensure that our shipments meet the import requirements of each country to which we ship as this helps to prevent customs delays and also prevents our seeds from bringing in weeds. For our seeds to meet the import requirements, we need to make sure we follow the phytosanitary regulations of the country to which we are shipping.
Phytosanitary regulations require us to:
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