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HORTICULTURE FOR KIDS - ENCOURGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GARDENERS.

By far the most enjoyable faucet of Chris’s media work is visiting schools and the work he undertakes through his affiliation with charities such as the Royal horticultural society , School food matters and of course Blue Peter. Children are easily the most receptive audience when it comes to the subject of gardening , this is best summed up in the quote Chris often uses which states ‘ there is something spiritual about our relationship with the garden , it’s a switch inside us that automatically turns on as soon as our fingers touch the soil. This is no where more apparent than when children nurture and grow plants . In six years of working with them , in the gardening environment , I can honestly say , hand on heart , not one child has seemed not to enjoy it’.

As well as this , gardening has massive educational and social value. If a group of children are to design and build a small garden or veg plot , they need to perform a series of important tasks. Firstly , they need measure and survey the area (Maths) , identify the current flora and fauna (Biology) , then come up wit a drawn plan (Art) , now the area has to be dug , raked and prepared (Physical exercise) and marked out according to the plan (Team work) and finally , they will row plants and learn to nurture (Life skill). Gardening really is a magic subject. 

Of course though with kids there is one important rule , they need to be doing something , they need to be busy , if you are thinking about sitting them in a class room and simply talking about it or keeping them standing there whilst demonstrating , then think again . These things obviously need doing , however , what kids need are projects , they need to get stuck in and et their hands dirty. So , if your a teacher , or a parent and want to get the kids gardening here are some useful ideas and tips.

TOP TEN GARDENING PROJECTS FOR CHILDREN

• Edible basket - Grow ‘Tumbler’ tomatoes from seed along with herbs such as Basil , Rocket and Parsley. Once the seedlings are established plant into a hanging basket.

• Get to know all the UK’s fabulous trees . Collect leaves from all the common ones (and rare if you like) then press and dry them , laminate and make a hanging mobile for the kids bedroom.

• Had enough of the ugly plastic compost bin stuck in the corner of the garden? Have some fun and make it into a Dalek. Use recycled materials . Its a great way to teach the golden rule of gardening - nothing goes to waste.

• Build a terrarium - create a mini rainforest in an old fish tank. First line the bottom with gravel then create an undulating terrain with soil. Plant small house plants such as Pipers , Ferns , Spider plant and even Orchids. Then top dress with moss. Put it in pride of place in the living room and get the kids to spray with water mist once a day to keep alive.

• Kids love wildlife and action in the garden. Get wildlife into the garden with habitat piles , bat and bird boxes - how about a hedgehog house and if safe enough a pond.

• Plant a tree as a family and in 20 years time you can all meet up and sit in it together.

• Make a grass man , create legs , arms , a torso and a head out of chicken wire. Fill each part with old tights soil and grass seed , put him together and lie him down on the grass or in a border , water him and watch him come to life.

• Create a mini landscape. Choose a piece of garden 2 meters by 2 meters . Get the kids to measure it , draw a design and then dig it over . Next they can plant it and nurture it. How about a family day out to one of Britain’s famous gardens to get some inspiration.

• Take some hardwood cuttings from Willows , watch them root in water and create a mini Willow arch.

• Painting with plants , Using summer bedding plants such as Geraniums , Lobelia Petunias or even veg like Lettuce and Rocket , create patterns in the borders or beds . How about the shape of guitar or football.

SIMPLE TOP GARDENING TIPS FOR CHILDREN

• Checking for soil moisture - the finger test. Worried your plant is not getting enough to drink , or to much water , check the moisture in the soil by lightly pressing your fingers onto the soil , if small particles of soil stick to your fingers , there is enough moisture in the soil .

• Removing yellow / brown leaves - inspection duty - This is the D/D/D rule that all gardeners must learn , any parts of the plant that are dead , dying or diseased should be removed , keeping the plant clean and healthy. Hygiene is important in gardening.

• Pricking out - holding the seedlings by its leaves when transplanting , if you sow and successfully sow and germinate seed , there will come a time when you will need to move these small plants. When you do its important that you only touch and lift the plant holding its leaves. Also make sure you tease out the roots gently.

• The importance of firming with fingers. After any replanting make sure you firm the soil around the roots properly , this is normally done with the fingers , unless its a large plant such as a tree. The reason for firming is it aids capillary action - which is the movement of water through the soil.

• Watering seeds and seedlings - the upside down Rose method. Its very easy to wash seeds or small plants out of the soil if not careful when watering. The answer is to use a rose (type of spout) on your watering can or hose pipe. Also never water the plants directly straight away , water away from the plants and then move onto them , this also stops damage to young plant.

• Using Nettles as liquid food - plants , especially those growing in containers or quick growing plants like vegetables like to be fed. One way to feed them is a foliar feed , this is putting feed in water and spraying through a water sprayer. One food that they will love is liquid nettles. Collect some nettles and place them in a bucket of water , after 3 weeks drain of the nettle water and store , this is your liquid feed. Its best to spray early I the morning or evening and avoid baby plants.

• Using worm kits in compost - Remember that nothing is wasted in gardening , so all waste is to go to the compost bin . One way you can speed up the compost process is to buy a worm kit. Applied too your compost bin these wiggly friends will chew through the garden waste and turn it into nice rich nutritional compost.

• Grow Nasturtiums to attract the cabbage whitefly - Sometimes your gardening will be disrupted by unwelcome guests , one pest loves Cabbages and is commonly found on veg plots. This is the Cabbage Whitefly you can distract these pests by planting plants that they will prefer , this is called ‘companion planting. Planting Nasturtiums will distract Cabbage white fly.

• Keeping away the pigeons - old CD’s on a string - Pigeons can cause big problems on your veg plot. Put two stakes on the ground on either side of your veg and run some string from one to the other. Next collect old CDs and using fishing line tie them on to your string line. The reflecting light and noise from the CD’ will scare off the pigeons.

 • Toilet roll collars to control root pests. Some pests like to attack roots , Brassicas (Cabbages , Brussels sprouts , Brockley ) can suffer from root feeders. When planting out baby Brassicas plant them in sunken empty toilet rolls , this will protect the roots from pests.

• Watching the frost - using fleeces and cloches - In spring when many of plants like vegetables and summer flowers are small and vulnerable and at night can be damaged by a late spring frost. Watch out for this by keeping an eye on the weather and if its going to get cold protect with fleece (can be obtained at the garden centre) or if its an indivual plant , like Pumpkin , cut an old plastic bottle a in half and use the top half without the lid to cover the plant.

• Outdoor fridge – Storing veg in sand barrels - If the freezer is full indoors and you still have loads of Carrots , Parsnips and Beetroot , fill an old dustbin which has been washed out and punctured with drainage holes and in layers fill with sand , placing in your veg , keep going until the bin is full , this will keep your veg fresh for many months. If you don’t fancy using a dustbin , why not make something out of wood , either way it can be decorated with a theme of choice.

TOP TEN GARDENING TIPS FOR KIDS

1. Nothing is wasted - Composting - All weeds can go into the compost bin .Also , all kitchen waste - left over vegetables , cake , tea bags , even egg shells can go into the compost bin , all except left over meat or fish , this may attract vermin. Even old newspapers can go in and of course grass clippings.

2. Weeds before seeds - Weeding - remember nearly everything can go back onto the garden , weeds can be pulled and added to the compost bin , pull them from ground before they set seed , as this will save you plenty of work later. Its also a good idea to make sure you sow your vegetables in straight lines , this way when thy are seedlings , you can tell them apart from weed seedlings.

3. The answer is in the soil - Mulching - Once your compost has become nice and friable (rotted down) , you can place it onto your beds , borders around your plants , this is luxury for them , 'chocolate for plants'. It does many useful jobs , it : helps keep the roots moist , helps keep the roots warm in cold weather , it makes pulling out weeds easier , it breaks down and gives the plant nutrients and it looks great!

4. Magic liquid - Feeding - Plants , like people need to be fed , mulching is one way of feeding , another is what's known as liquid fed. You can buy this (tomato feed ) or make your own by putting Nettles into a bucket of water , leaving for three weeks and then diluting in a water sprayer and spraying the plants leaves early in the morning. This is a good way of making the plants strong. It can be done once a month in the summer.

5. Raising an army - Seed sowing - One way to get lots and lots of plants is to raise them from seed , you can do this by sowing them in trays and putting them in a propagator (mini greenhouse) , or sowing into the ground , which has been well prepared . Either way , the compost has to be very free draining , it should have the same texture as the surface of an Apple crumble. It also should be consolidated , which is a big word for firmed. Before sowing the seed always read the label. If your seeds have to be covered , always sieve the compost over them , this makes it nice and fine and easy for the seedlings to get through. When watering , its important not to wash out seeds or seedlings , use a watering can with a fine rose , turn the Rose upside down and start watering away from the seeds , swooping over them. Watch out from competition from those weeds.

6. Saving for a Rainy day - Watering - Rig up water butts where possible , remember water is precious . Inspect your plants everyday to see if they need a drink. the finger test is a good way to see if there is moisture in the soil. If the soil is slightly moist it will sick to your fingers , if not your plants may need a drink.

7. Food for the bees and the butterflies - Flowers - When growing vegetables , its always a god idea to provide a source of nectar and pollen for visiting Bees and Butterflies , as they will help your plants. You can try sowing a meadow garden from seed or plant some heavy flowering herbaceous plants.

8. Health is wealth - Hygiene - when checking to see if your plants need a drink its a good opportunity to check how your plants are doing. Remember the D/D/D rule , remove any dead , diseased or dying leaves or material from the plant , check also for pest and disease.

9. Not or the birds - Protection - Birds can be a problem on a vegetable patch , especially Pigeons try hanging old CD's o a line across your plot , the bright light they reflect helps scare them away. If you have a problem with slugs and snails , there are many ways to help prevent them , try surrounding the plant in egg shells , bran flakes or old coffee granules , a layer of gravel may help or even get a teacher or parent to sink half a cup of beer near the plants . Its a good idea to physically look for them too and if found , throw them into a bucket of salt water. Be careful to use slug pelts , as they can scare away other important wildlife. Finally you may find Aphids (small fly like creatures ) on plants like beans and lettuce , a small drop of washing up liquid in a water sprayer will help check these cheeky imps.

10. Order in the ranks - Rotation - To help prevent the build up of pest and disease in your vegetable plot its good practise to swap your different types of vegetables around each year . Grow root crops , such as Potatoes , Turnips , Carrots , Beetroot in one area , then Brassicas (Cabbages , Broccoli , Sprouts ) in another area and Legumes (Beans and Peas ) in a third area . the following year rotate these three groups around.


5 VEGETABLE GARDEN PROJECTS FOR KIDS

1. The Potato Barrel - Why not get an old dustbin or water butt and grow Potatoes from it . Makes holes in the bottom for drainage and then in layers moving up the bin , cut out round circles all the way around . Place soil into the bin until it reaches the first set of holes and place in your potatoes on top of it. Add more compost and continue filling in layers with compost and potatoes , until your bin is full. Water well and watch your bin slowly turn into a mass of potato leaves , after 12 weeks simply tip the bin over and harvest your crop.

2. The Edible wall - No room to grow vegetables , why not garden upwards . Fix hanging baskets pots and troughs to the wall and grow Tomatoes such as 'Tumbler' and 'hundreds and thousands' in them. Also grow herbs such as Basil , Rocket Parsley and Coriander . Other good crops are salad leaves and even runner beans . Just remember to water and feed and you can have your own vertical crop

3. Painting with vegetables - Why not create a picture with your crop , use different coloured leaves of salad crops and lettuce to make symbol. How about using a nice light coloured leaf of a lettuce to draw your school emblem or crest , then use a dark leaves plant , such as Rocket to make it stand out. Try to do this on a slight slope at the school entrance so people can really see it.

4. Runner bean archway - Make growing beans a bit more interesting by creating a tunnel using Bamboo canes , arch them over and tie the ends together . Run string at intervals all the way up the canes , to provide the beans with support . Plant the beans two per cane) at the base of your framework , water , feed and grow your own bean tunnel.

5. Herb hedge - Why not make the very most of your vegetable plot or raised bed by edging it with often used herbs. Make a small hedge or order all the way around your main crops , this can be made of Coriander , Parsley , Marjoram , Chives , in fact any herb you like as long as its not going to block out light to your main crop. This is a great way to maximise space.


CCOLLINS
21/04/2010