Six on Saturday: 30.5.20 National Children’s Gardening Week

This week is National Children’s Gardening Week. The Horticultural Trade Association has set challenges each day. We’ve taken part in each of these along with doing some of our own. Like many of you, we’ve been homeschooling so I’ve been taking part in lots of different national weeks and days for some inspiration for activities. Today I’m covering six of her favorites from the last week but we’ve done lots more besides this. Lots of seed sowing and grow your own. Alice has carried on helping to stock our charity sales. She has got used to doing one lesson each day and it has now got to the point where I’m getting pestered for one before I’ve finished my morning cup of tea. She also has no concept of weekends so I still have to do lessons at the weekend. Shouldn’t have done such exciting lessons.

1. Garden collage

We found a challenge set by the publishers of the lovely children’s book Mrs. Noah’s garden to make a garden picture out of recycled material. The book’s pictures were created by collage so we thought we’d give it a go. We started by cutting a sheet of card and painting it for the background.

Old gardening magazines came in use for some flower material.

She then assembled the parts she’d cut and made. It was interesting seeing the story she developed as she glued it together. The felt flower was there for the ladybird. The strawberries were there if the butterfly got hungry.

2. Allotment plan

One of the National Children’s Gardening Week challenges was to draw your ideal veg plot.

She drew what she wanted and then asked me to label. I was impressed with how many ideas she came up with. She didn’t need any prompting for choices. I was also glad to see she picked many things that we are growing in our own garden. With the exception of the lemons. But I don’t think she’ll mind us not having them as she said they were for mummy’s drinks.

3. Seed bombs

We had a go at making a seed bomb mix for grassland. Several seeds for short flowers went in that can escape mowers. Red clover and yellow rattle in. Yellow rattle works as a parasite on grass reducing its vigor. Essential if looking at establishing a meadow area on grassland as the grass will win against many wildflowers. Then a few poppies we had spare went in. These were mixed with clay, water, and soil. Then we put in a bit of chili powder. This is to put animals like squirrels off eating them.

The mix was then sculpted into balls and then left to dry.

4. Bee rocks

Another challenge set by the HTA for National Children’s gardening week was to paint rocks for the garden. We went with a simple bee design. Alice worked on a queen bee and several workers.

She then found a spot in the garden for them.

5. Fairy pots

On Wednesday the fairies left Alice a message outside the back door.

She spent a bit of time inside drawing onto the pot. She wanted a rainbow door and butterflies around hers. Then we got them planted up. She choose one of the mini-dahlietta.

She then wanted to arrange a fairy garden and pond around her pot house.

6. Mini-beast hunting

Armed with a clipboard, magnifying glass and, cameras we headed out for a mini-beast hunt.

We found just about everything on the list with the exception of the dragonflies and ladybirds. We’re just starting to get the damselflies in again and the dragonflies will follow.

It’s good to see that between the plants we grow and the habitat creation we have done we are finding a rich variety of life.

It’s been a busy week for gardening and craft activities. But it will be continuing as we head into the Wildlife Trust’s 30 days wild. Each day through June we do one activity to engage in nature. I’ve taken part in it the last few years and many of my previous ideas can be found here. Enjoy your weekends.

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