Glow n' Grow

The Glow n' Grow initiative was developed by Team CandleCalm in order to provide our customers with a product that could live on, past it's initial purpose.

We saw this as an opportunity, not only to reduce our carbon footprint, but to create a fun and rewarding alternative aspect to what would have, more than likely, become landfill or recycled waste.

Many candle jars and the packaging they come in make their way to the common waste bins and subsequently onto a land fill, which is something we really want to try to avoid with our products at all times.

Some jars and packaging make it to the recycle waste bins and are then processed.

Even recycling can have its impact on the environment as well, because in order to recycle items, they must be picked up by, what is usually a diesel driven vehicle, transported, processed, reconditioned and then sold back into the market, where this life cycle begins again. It takes a lot of time, money and effort to fulfil this process. Although recycling is so much better than the permanent disposing of goods in landfills, sourcing goods that can be upcycled is even better.

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products. At CandleCalm, we respectfully ask all of our amazing customers to try and upcycle their packaging and candle glasses.

To help you, we've provided you with a completely naturally coloured compostable box, clear glass candle jar (no colours or sprays) and a seeded paper dust cover, which contains kitchen herb seeds such as basil, thyme, parsley and dill, for growing after your candle wax has expired.

When you receive your candle, remove it from the packaging and keep hold of the seeded dust cover.

Let's Glow and Grow...

Step 1.

Once your candle has expired and can no longer be used, clean out the wax. Don't worry too much if a little wax remains, it's made from Soybean and is a natural product. It will not harm the waterways.

Step 2.

Dry the glass and place a label with the herb name of your seeded dust protector on the side of the glass. This will avoid confusion if growing herbs in other glasses.

Step 3.

Fill the bottom (1-2cm) with small stones (small marbles work really well). This provides you with a viewing area to see if there is too much water, or not enough. Don't go over 2cm height with the stones as the herbs will need as much soil space as possible to set their roots.

Step 4.

Fill the glass up to roughly 2cm away from the top edge of the glass with damp (not wet) potting soil. Do not press down too hard when packing your soil; herbs like loose soil, which is easy to grow roots through and easy to drain.

Step 5.

Place your seeded dust cover on top of the soil and press down gently.

Step 6.

Cover the seeded dust cover with soil.

Step 7.

Water/spray the topsoil very lightly with clean water so that the seeded paper becomes wet. This will be enough to initiate growth in damp potting soil.

Step 8.

Place the glass in an area where the seedlings will receive 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. A windowsill is a great place to start an indoor herb garden.

Step 9.

Watch them grow.

General Tips:

These herbs can be grown through winter inside on a windowsill garden.

Monitor the stone area at the bottom of your glass:

  1. If the area is completely dry, lightly water your herbs.

  2. If the area is wet, with little water at the bottom, the conditions are good.

  3. If the area is full of water, the conditions are too wet, and the roots will suffer

If your windowsill is cold, this could affect the germination of the seedlings. One technique is to cover the glass in cling film. The film helps hold in heat and aids in providing consistent moisture. However, be sure to monitor the growing media for mold growth. If you see mold, poke holes in the film or remove it completely to improve air circulation.

Germination Periods:

These germination periods may differ to actual results. Please try to be patient, follow the guidance above and fingers crossed, you'll be harvesting fresh, aromatic herbs to stimulate appetites and add complex flavours to your dishes in no time.

Basil: 4-6 days
Thyme: 14-28 days
Dill: 7-14 days
Parsley: 14-30 days

NOTE: Germination may not always be achieved as it is very dependent on conditions, and not all herbs thrive in glass jars. Glass jars are suitable as a herb starter only; so, once they've grown a bit, it is worth moving them to a larger pot of flower bed if conditions allow.