Make a Garden Anywhere
For those of you that have followed Mimi’s Bowl for a while you will know I love our small city garden. It is my refuge for a morning coffee and a place where I can decompress. It is a small patch of green but over the past few months it has played such a central part in our family life. I have never appreciated it more. And, it isn’t just me, during lockdown we became a nation of gardeners. In London, on our daily pram walks, balconies and basements became noticeably greener; with everything from pots of tomatoes, to sunflowers springing up.
So, as we quickly slide towards school, how can we squeeze these last few weeks of good weather into our weekends and get our kids outdoors too? According to Henry, founder of Herboo, we need to get planting. If you don’t know Herboo they make beautiful kid's gardening kits, delivered through your letter box. I love the concept but also the belief that you can build a little garden anywhere and in the smallest of spaces. Gardens boost mental and physical health: they make us feel better. The real magic is that anyone, anywhere can enjoy their healing power. So read on, for some top tips and practical ideas for starting a little green project in your home and getting the kids involved too. It could be as simple as some seeds sewn in an old egg box, or planting from vegetable tops…
xx Mimi
growing plants with kids…
start small
If you are at the very beginning of your gardening journey, you’ll find it easier to try a few small things first to get into the rhythm of what your plants need or what your garden does. Often people will try to grow too much and quickly. Unhappy plants are often the result, start small and enjoy the process… Try some easy plants that will flourish
Cornflowers / Basil / Sunflowers
2. Rewardable gardens win
What we love about gardens with kids is the value of time and patience it brings. They learn the benefits that come from a bit of work watering, digging and caring for their plant and wonder at the tasty tomatoes, fruits or flowers.
3. don’t over water
Most beginner gardeners make one mistake: over watering their plants, which can cause problems. When you have seeds you want to water them from the bottom, so you don’t displace, or disturb them.
Plants will tell you:
yellowing leaves = too much water
droopy leaves = not enough water
4. plan the best results
With kids, it is always best to avoid as little disappointment as possible when it comes to growing. We use the best quality seeds and send them in airtight packaging to ensure best success rates. When growing at home, think about where gets the best light and easy to manage your sprouts. We’ll often start the sprouts off above the fridge as also a warm bottom to the soil helps the seeds get going.
5. nature play and sensory skills
You can really work on sensory skills with kids something like a sage which is all furry, smell of mint or sound of poppy seed pods. You can also try making a nature loom and weave through different things to look at the season together.
6. Reg-row your kitchen veggies
Another great way to get kids enjoying making a garden is through leftover kitchen veggies.
Re-grow
~ salad onions roots into new plants
~ grow a sweet potato vine
~ or, sprout an avocado tree
7. Make your own plant pots
Try decorating the bottom of a juice carton with your kids as a plant pot for the house. Grow seedlings in an egg box, loo roll or with some old newspaper, it’s plastic free and means you can plant the sprout directly in the soil afterwards cardboard and all.
herboo
Herboo sell a curated selection of seeds and kids garden and nature box which changes monthly with the seasons. We really believe a garden can be made anywhere, from a windowsill, to a houseboat. Our kids garden and nature box is all about being creative and using your imagination, to garden.
buy a herboo box
Seed Shop ~ https://herboo.com/collections/seeds
Garden and Nature Box ~ https://herboo.com/collections/kids-garden-box
visit the website ~ https://herboo.com/