good 'n planty

Long ago, in a lifestyle magazine that has likely since closed its doors, I read a feature about a family's beach house. Lined up on a shelf were dozens of tiny bottles containing sand from every exotic beach the family had ever been to. It was simultaneously sweet and ridiculously extravagant.

This artist had a similar idea, if slightly more "down to earth."

"USING CRAIGSLIST, I POSTED A LISTING...THAT I WAS WORKING ON AN ART PROJECT...AND NEEDED TO AQUIRE DIRT FROM EVERY STATE. I EXPLAINED THAT I CREATED A DIRT RETRIEVAL SYSTEM TO GET THE DIRT BACK TO ME, POSTAGE PAID. THEY SIMPLY HAD TO GO INTO THEIR BACKYARD, COLLECT IT, AND THROW IT IN THE MAIL." (full story here.)

Each sample had a unique story- Hawaii's is probably most the interesting. I think this would be a really neat project for a kid to do- I'm sure gardeners all over the country wouldn't mind mailing a little piece of their garden.