Introduction: Green Keyboard

Our colleague has gone on leave and so we thought it was a good time to go all environmental on him and give him a green keyboard.
Note: the use of the term green here may not be in the same context as what you're thinking!

Step 1: Preparation

First, assemble your materials. we'll need the following

Keyboard (unplugged)

Toilet Paper

Water

Either
1x Cisco WS-C2950C-24 - 24 10/100 ports with 2 100BASE-FX uplinks, Enhanced Image
Or
Some polythene

Seeds of your choice

Absent colleague

Step 2: The Keyboard

Cover the keyboard in about 5 layers of toilet paper. Roll some up and push into the cracks.
Make sure it's well covered
Wet the paper thoroughly

Step 3: Sowing the Seed

Sprinkle a good layer of seed onto the paper. I'm using alfalfa here, though mustard or cress will be fine.

If your mate is off for a month or more, grass seed will give a lush greenness not obtained with other seeds.

Step 4: Germination

This next step is important as it will provide the optimum environment for your green keyboard

Unpack the Catalyst switch and discard all the contents apart from the bag with the book and cables in.

Discard the the book and cables and split the bag down each of the long edges

You should end up with a rectangle of polythene, half a seal on each end, which just fits over the keyboard.

Water the seeds again, and place the polythene over the keyboard.

Note: this could work with other polythene - I didn't have any other polythene.

Step 5: Growth

Water every day. After a couple of days, the seeds should have sprouted. Now is the time to add more seed and water again

Step 6: What Next?

Continue watering, adding seed etc and after about a week, remove the polythene. You should now have a green keyboard

What Next?
You could surround the keyboard with gravel, place a small dish in the gravel and add Sea Monkeys to give that calming Japanese Garden with Koi Carp feel

For an English Cottage Garden feel, thimbles and fishing line can be used to make hanging baskets. Superglue them to the front of his/her monitor

Toy people and bears will recreate the fear of a wild forest on the keyboard. Use epoxy to glue them to the keys before adding the paper.

If your colleague is only off for a week, why not go for instant results with turf?