Since I'm always looking for new ways to go green, I was pleasently surprised when I went to my local garden center a few weeks ago and found a really cool new product for starting seeds called cow pots. 

I'll admit, the idea of it is a little gross - they are actually made from cow manure, but the way they work is great and they keep me from using plastic at all when starting plants from seeds. And to me, that's worth a little manure! 

After using them, I can say that they work great and they don't smell at all. They look like regular planting pots. You simply add your potting soil and your seeds and water as normal. Once the seeds have germinted and are ready to be placed outdoors, you can plant the entire thing.  It will decompose in a matter of weeks and the cow manure actually works as a fertilizer - adding nutrients to your soil, which is great for your growing plants.  

They can be purchased at many lawn and garden centers and nurseries and are a great way to stop using plastic in your gardening efforts. On top of that, they are pretty reasonably priced and give farmers a great way to utilize all that manure for something good!  

You can learn more about cow pots and get lots of tips on green living by visiting Green Living Made Easy.