What Kids Want in a Garden

I have fond memories of the little tire planter garden I had as a kid, and it is very important to me that our kids have their own little patch of dirt.  We'll be building our daughters' gardens this spring here at our new house, once all the snow finally clears. Until then, we are eagerly making plans!

So what do kids want in a garden?  To answer this question, I enlisted two experts on the subject - my 4-year-old and 6-year-old. These are their expert opinions:

1.  Flowers - Lots and lots of flowers were requested, of course.  (Good, they know what a garden is, check!)

kids' garden at the old Red House

2.  Fruits and Vegetables - Surprised, parents?  Picking and eating veggies in the garden apparently has much more appeal than prepared veggies on a plate. This year, the kids are requesting to have two gardens each, one for flowers and one for edibles!

3.  Bugs - My kids requested 'lots and lots' of butterflies and ladybugs!  Children are naturally inclined to be wildlife gardeners, I think!

(Sorry bees, you didn't get quite the same amount of love.  And mosquitos, you were specifically asked to stay away from the party.)

4.  Water - Actually the specific requests from my daughters included the terms 'water fountain' and 'heated pool'.  (Where do they learn these things?)  Thankfully, they also mentioned a 'giant mud puddle.'  I think we can all guess which one has a better chance of being in the kids' garden..

5.  A place to run around - I guess I'm keeping a patch of lawn, after all!  My husband will be happy.  (Seriously, what is it with guys and grass?)

6.  Play structure - Okay, the term my daughters actually used was 'castle'.  Well, I did tell them to imagine their dream garden, after all.  I have a feeling that they are imagining something like this:

Cinderella's castle
source - Wikipedia

Do you think they'll settle for a big rock?

Happy gardening (or at least garden planning), everyone!

And here's to inspiring the next generation of gardeners!
Anyone have anything else to add to the list from their own little 'experts'? 

The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids

"Think back.  Can you remember a natural, outdoor space that held some magic for you?"

Thus starts the book I recently read, instantly taking me back to that hidden, magic hollow in the forest behind our house where we played so often as kids.

The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids: 101 Ways to Get Kids Outside, Dirty, and Having Fun by Whitney Cohen and John Fisher not only takes you back to your childhood, but it is an absolute treasure trove of inspiration for things to do in the garden with your children or grandchildren.  It give a lot of recommendations for how to involve kids in gardening in ways that are both educational and just plain fun! 

Oftentimes, all kids need to have fun in the garden is a pile of dirt and some water!

The book covers everything from planning different themed gardens to interacting with animals in the garden to even cooking with one's harvest.

My kids are much more likely to eat the produce that they picked from the garden!
(Well, except for that jalapeño...)

The authors give a lot of advice about making gardens child-friendly and about how to give your child positive experiences with gardening and nature, planting seeds that may mature into a long-lasting relationship.  Peppered throughout the book are many projects for kids in the garden, some of which I can't wait to do with my kids!

my daughter's wildflower garden

The only criticism I have of the book is that it could possibly have been organized a little better - I am not a very organized thinker, so I like my books to be very organized for me :)  There are points where the insertion of projects seems to interrupt the flow of narration.  However, aside from that, I really enjoyed this book and learned a few things as well!  

releasing a Black Swallowtail after it has emerged from its chrysalis

It is important to me to plant seeds of positive experiences with nature in my kids, and this book gives so many great ways to do just that.  I think my love of the outdoors and my love of gardening stem from so many great memories I have as a kid being outside.  

Growing up in Alaska, you might think that I would remember the snow and ice the most.  On the contrary, what I remember most vividly are the buttercups, bluebells, fireweed and roses that grew wild among the forest, the irises and the profusion of wildflowers that my mother grew, the little garden that my father made me out of a old tire - 

and, of course, that magic hollow in the forest that was always adorned with reindeer moss and imagination.

Black Swallowtail on zinnia

What about you?  If you love gardening, do you think it stems from your memories of the outdoors as a kid?

For more reviews of gardening books, check out the site Roses and Other Gardening Joys.

Making Terrariums - So Simple a Child Could Do It

What is a gardener to do in the wintertime when he or she needs their plant fix?
Start an indoor garden, of course! 

Terrariums are all the rage right now, and as they seem like a possible solution to my houseplant-munching cat, I enjoyed making a couple of them this winter.

Terrarium: a glass container, chiefly or wholly enclosed, for growing and displaying plants

Terrariums being sold at the hardware store

Now that they are so popular, it is a lot easier finding a variety of little plants for terrariums that were previously not available locally.

Fittonia albivenis (white), Palm seedling, Hypoestes (red), Fern

 Of course, as soon as my kids saw the first terrarium I made, they wanted to make one, so out came the old goldfish bowls out of storage. 

(RIP Fishy 1 and Fishy 2)

How to Make a Terrarium

Step 1: Choose a glass container, either open or closed, and clean thoroughly.  Choose your container with your plants in mind - some plants enjoy the high humidity of a closed terrarium, while other plants need more air circulation.

Step 2:  Put clean rocks, sand, or marbles in the bottom for drainage.  

This was actually my kids' favorite step - going outside and collecting rocks for their terrarium kept them quite busy for a good hour or two!  (This is of course much easier when you have an extremely mild winter and no snow..)

My more decorative river rocks

Step 3:  If you have a closed container, put a few spoonfuls of activated charcoal over the rocks to filter the air and prevent the buildup of bad microorganisms and odors.  You can find it at the pet store in the aquarium section (sometimes it will be labeled as activated carbon).

Step 4:  If desired, put a layer of moss or a mesh to prevent the soil from falling down into your decorative rocks.  You can use sphagnum moss or landscape fabric or any sheer fabric.  I used a strip of sheet moss I had, turned upside down.

Step 5:  Plant your plants, using a light potting soil.

Hmm... this one is still going to have to go up high out of reach of the cat..

Some common plants for terrariums include Fittonia albivenis (also known as Nerve Plant), certain types of Begonias, orchids, ferns, Peperomia, and Hypoestes (also known as Polka Dot Plant).  Make sure to choose a grouping of plants that all prefer the same light and humidity levels. 

Clockwise from top left:  Fittonia albivenis (pink), Fittonia albivenis (small and white), Palm seedling, Hypoestes (red), Fern

Step 6:  Add any decorative items you would like.  My four-year-old added rocks and glitter hearts to her terrarium.

My four-year-old's terrarium: Fittonia albivenis (pink), Fittonia albivenis (red)

My two year old added the rest of her rocks on top and left me to finish with sheet moss - she just wanted to go outside and collect more rocks!

My two-year-old's terrarium: Fittonia albivenis (pink), button fern

Step 7:   Lightly water your plants (the lightly part being the hardest step for kids - I suggest a spray bottle) and set in a location that gets the proper amount of light.   Most terrarium plants like a decent amount of indirect light but not direct light. 

Water the terrarium every once in a while when the soil starts getting dry.  If you have a closed terrarium, you will need to let it air out every few weeks and be careful not to overwater (especially with little kids that looove to water).

My four-year-old's terrarium

As you can see, making a terrarium is so simple even a child could do it!

Now keeping it alive, that's another story...

How to Make an Edible Birdhouse

In my last post, I showed an adorable edible birdhouse that my mother-in-law had gotten.  I love that after the birds eat all of the seeds off of the birdhouse, it can be turned into a functional birdhouse.

Store-bought edible birdhouse

I thought it would be fun to make one for the birds here at the Red House Garden, not to mention cheaper than buying one!


Step 1:  Assemble ingredients

• Birdhouse - you can either make one or buy one for fairly cheap at a craft store
• Edible Glue - there are many recipes out there, or you can even just use peanut butter.  The recipe I used calls for flour, corn syrup, and gelatin
• Different types of birdseed, raisins, dried fruit, raw nuts, etc.
• Decoration - I went outside and gathered some pretty stalks of grass, holly berries, and sweetgum tree balls.  Use anything you can find (as long as it's not poisonous to the birds!)

Step 2:  Make Edible Glue - I used a common recipe that I found online:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 pkg. unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz.)

3 Tbsp. corn syrup

3/4 cup flour

Heat up the water and then dissolve the gelatin in it.  Then mix in the corn syrup and flour.  Using whole wheat flour will make a light brown glue, white flour will make a white glue.  Whole wheat flour is preferable for the birds as it is more nutritious. 

Edible glue

I found that this glue is pretty workable for about half an hour before it starts setting up too much.

Step 3: Glue Birdseed and Decorate

Starting from the top down, spread a thin layer of edible glue on the house and then press birdseed, dried fruit, nuts, etc. into it.

Decorate and viola!

Edible Birdhouse

The kids also had lots of fun decorating their own little houses for the birds!

Step 4:  Let dry for a few hours, then let the birds enjoy!

Brown-headed nuthatch on edible birdhouse

Decorative and delicious!  I think some of the birds were even checking out the living arrangements for next spring.

Carolina chickadee checking out the edible birdhouse

The only problem with this edible birdhouse was that it took the birds awhile to figure out how to land on it.  The bigger cardinals didn't want to land on it at all and were rather disgruntled that I had switched out their regular feeder.  That's something to keep in mind when choosing a birdhouse and hanging it.

Brown-headed nuthatch looking for a place to land

This was definitely a fun project, and it was great to watch the birds enjoying it.

After the birds have finished all the birdseed, I will wash the house and hang it.  We'll see if any birds move in this spring!

Carolina wren

Wouldn't you like to nest in a cozy little birdhouse at the Red House Garden, little wren?