Growing up, my first exposure to gardening was planting sunflower seeds in my grandparent’s back garden and watching them grow taller than me! I used to love getting my hands dirty and playing in the muck of the garden, but it seems a lot of children today would prefer to do the opposite.
Follow these steps to get the kids back into the garden and appreciating the outdoor elements.
1) Plant exciting flowers or varieties
Flowers which don’t require a lot of work or maintenance, such as sunflowers or marigolds are a great starting point for children. Sunflowers grow really tall, which I remember fascinated me. Sensory plants such as Stachys Byzantina (Lamb’s Ears) or Mentha Spicata (Spearmint) will also excite young ones. You can’t go too wrong with seed based plants due to their ease.
2) Use grown vegetables for dinner
Do you have fussy eater in your household? If so, get them involved with the growing of fresh fruit and vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, the possibilities are endless. It will be rewarding when you sit down for tea and eat all of your hard work too.
3) Decorate plant pots
You can easily get some plain pots, which are cheap enough to paint and decorate. This combines creativity with gardening, and then allows for potting and planting afterwards.
4) Build a wormery
Most children are fascinated by worms, and why wouldn’t they be? Worms are wonderful little creatures so support their habitation by building a wormery. Simply fill a glass jar or box with moist soil, sand, vegetable peelings, vegetation and leaves, and some worms. You can then look at how they behave, how they move and how they look.
5) Create a treasure hunt
Children love a treasure hunt, so hide some goodies (perhaps chocolate if you’re feeling generous) in your garden, ensuring they’re hidden well! Bury underneath bushes or hide up trees, and promote the idea of getting mucky and stuck in. It doesn’t matter if your garden is small (or you have no garden), you can go to the park or some wooded area and do this too.
Show us how they get on, and send in any pictures or stories, especially of worms! If your photo contains a Primrose product and we feature it on site, you will also get a £5 voucher!
- Email photos@primrose.co.uk
- Tweet us @PrimroseUK
- Facebook us @ facebook.com/Primrose.co.uk
We recently had photos sent in from one customer who is helping to educate future gardeners using one of our New Leaf polytunnels!
—
Amie is a marketing enthusiast, having worked at Primrose since graduating from Reading University in 2014.
She enjoys all things sport. A keen football fan, Amie follows Tottenham Hotspur FC, and regularly plays for her local 5 a side football team.
Amie also writes restaurant reviews on Barnard’s Burger Blog.
