Gardening: Let children get their hands dirty
Susan Adam, Little Seedlings Club leader at Dobbies Garden World Edinburgh, says there is plenty that youngsters can learn in their gardens.
She says: “Encourage kids to keep a note of their summer gardening — it’s good to track how quickly things grow.”
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Hide AdOne idea, is to create a miniature garden in a seed tray using items foraged from your back yard. Start by adding a layer of soil to the bottom of the tray, creating dips and mounds to add interest. Create trees by adding prunings from bushes, and a pond by burying a small plastic container in the soil and filling it with water. Sow a seed of your choice in the bare soil and watch it grow over the holidays. Replace the “pruned trees” when they look past their best.
Secondly, why not open a salad bar by growing ready-to-eat salad leaves in a pot, reaping a harvest in just a couple of weeks after sowing seed. Fill your pot with compost and water it thoroughly. When the compost has settled, sprinkle a mix of salad seed over the surface. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of compost and wait for them to grow.
If your children like creepy crawlies, try building an insect hideout. Start by making a pile of old logs and wood, and then push short pieces of bamboo cane into any gaps. Make a separate pile of stone or rock nearby.
It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas, so plant prepared spring-flowering bulbs to give as gifts — hyacinths are ideal. Fill a pot with compost and add several bulbs, so the tops are just visible above the surface. Water them well and put them in a dark, frost-free place. Keep an eye on the bulbs, make sure the compost stays moist and bring them indoors when they shoot.
n Dobbies Garden World Edinburgh runs the Little Seedlings Club – a free club for children aged four to ten years, where budding green-fingered children can take part in monthly hands-on workshops. To find out more, or to book a place, please contact 0131-663 1941.