Help kids learn by growing a windowsill garden

(ARA) – A child’s awe while watching a seed germinate and grow into a healthy plant with beautiful flowers or a delicious vegetable is something very special. Their sense of accomplishment expands when the flowers they grew are arranged in a beautiful bouquet or their vegetables are shared in a family dinner.

This accomplishment illustrates how windowsill gardens encourage learning from plants at home.

With an indoor container garden, children can watch the tiny seeds they tenderly planted germinate and grow into much larger plants. Make the experience educational by encouraging your children to journal how much water is needed to keep the plants healthy, how fast the plants grow and even when new leaves or flower buds appear. They will be surprised by the growth process happening every day.

Spring is the perfect time to get involved in growing – no need to wait until summer to start planting. The Miracle-Gro Kids Windowsill Greenhouse kit, available in Flower and Vegetable Garden varieties, includes everything for children to start planting immediately. The kit provides an optimal environment for indoor seed starting, and the greenhouse environment helps the seedlings grow strong until ready to transplant.

Once seedlings are large enough for transplanting, children can use these simple tips to find their green thumbs and keep their gardens growing strong:

* Containers – All sizes and shapes of containers can become new homes for seedlings once they’re too large for the greenhouse. Whether placed in a sunny area indoors or out, any clean container with drainage at the bottom will work. Consider using colorful buckets, painted clay pots, old chipped porcelain or ceramics from the kitchen – even an old tool box can add a bit of creativity to the garden. Go vertical with pocket gardens and hanging baskets.

* Soil – Quality soil is a must to help plants grow big and strong. Fill containers with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix, and gently pat down so soil is loose, allowing roots to grow and spread easily. Be sure to keep soil moist by watering frequently. Smaller containers dry out easily and may need to be watered more.

* Light – Container and windowsill gardens tend to grow better with southern exposure, where the light is the strongest. Remind children to rotate the pots to encourage plants to grow straight, rather than bending toward the light coming in the window. Think about placing container gardens on window ledges, front stoops, balconies or back patios – any warm, sunny area where children can watch them grow.

* Labels – Put craft time to good use in making labels for each container. Provide children with photos of the plant for them to draw on the labels or tags to stick into the soil for easy identification. Children might even want to name their plants or containers. Let the creativity run free.

If the containers are growing flowers, once blossoming, harvest the blooms and encourage your child create a beautiful arrangement to decorate your home for admiring friends. Teach your child how to press or dry the blooms and create cherished art. Photography is another great way to preserve the memories. Photos make great keepsakes and, tucked into a journal, serve as excellent reminders of what your child planted and can grow in his garden again next year.

If your children planted vegetables, help them find a fun recipe or two that incorporate their produce. Get kids involved in making dinner by cleaning the vegetables for chopping, and stirring into the stew, sauce or salsa. When the dinner bell rings, your child will be proud to serve the meal they grew – right there in your home. Visit www.miraclegro.com/kids for delicious kid-friendly recipes.

Promote life learning and a green thumb for your children and watch their knowledge and pride grow alongside the flowers and vegetables that are started from seed. It will be an exciting project that can last for weeks and months on end.

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Now store this!

(NC)—Christmas lights still up because there’s nowhere to put them? Bikes and kid toys scattered in the backyard? Can’t find (or get to) your essential gardening tools in the garage? Start the season off on the right foot with a quick reorganization of your outdoor space with these storage ideas from The Home Depot Canada:

• Planter Storage Box: Display colourful annuals or a collection of herbs in the planting tray on top, and store garden accessories or even a hose behind closed doors—beautiful and functional!

• Shed Some Light on Space: Consider an outdoor shed or deck box to store seasonal items. When looking for options, think about how much room you’ll need and what items should be easily accessible. Do you need an overhead storage loft or just an extra spot to hide the lawn mower?

• Double Duty: Opt for deck storage that can house all the tools you can’t fit in your garage, and also offers outdoor seating for guests.

• Everything in Its Place: Work as a family to make sure everything is returned to its rightful place at the end of a fun (or yard-work) filled day. This will minimize and keep things tidy so you can enjoy the sun!

Want to build your own storage box? Visit The Home Depot’s Online Know How Centre for step by step instructions (www.homedepot.ca/know-how).

www.newscanada.com

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Egg Shell Flower Pot

In this video the host shows us how to make a simple egg shell into an adorable little flower pot. You simply start by cracking the egg and washing it out. After that you take a combination of water, vinegar and food color and mix it in a bowl. After you do that you add the shells to the liquid until the desired level of color is achieved. After that dry the egg on the paper towel. Next you place some dirt in the egg and clip a few small flowers to place in the dirt.

The result is absolutely adorable! Check out the how to video below:

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How to Grow Garlic Indoors

Garlic is a species of onion and its close relatives are onion, shallot, leek and chive. These are pretty much all of my favorite things in the produce department of my local Whole Foods. It has been a long time staple of the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Africa, Asia and of course, Europe! After all, what would Italian food be without garlic?

From roasting garlic and serving it with olive oil and bread, to chopping and adding to bruschetta, garlic is the perfect, and stinky, little gift from God for me. This is a super wonderful video showing how easy it is to grow garlic indoors! With just a few supplies and simple steps, fresh garlic is at your fingertips. I’m starting my garlic patch this weekend!

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Growing Strawberries Tips & Tricks

So, with my addiction to strawberries in full force, I decided to grow my very own strawberries! Growing strawberries in a container is a great way to keep them away from predators, and growing them in groups of at least three will help them grow into a healthy bunch. This is also perfect for apartment dwellers, or home owners that have dogs. Personally, I love strawberries, but I also love my dogs who would love to eat those strawberries, so I believe growing them in a planter or container is the best way to go for me!

In this video she talks about how to plant the strawberry plants and when you can expect those berries to sprout!

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Miniature Gardens

Miniature gardens are truly magical. These adorable are gardens grown all types of vessels: from bird baths to barrels, to pots and window boxes, there is a miniature garden out there for everyone. In fact, one of my favorite types of miniature gardens are fairy gardens! I truly believe fairies need beautiful homes too.

The important key to miniature gardens is depth and variety. Adding different colors, textures, and heights for interest. Different flowering plants, rocks, glass, sand, and water elements are great ways to start a miniature garden.

A great way to start a miniature garden is to think outside of the box! Such as using a washtub or wagon for planting vessels. The whole idea behind these miniature gardens is create mini-landscapes that appeal to the eyes and senses. A lot of these gardens often have Japanese feel to them with the use of stones, succulents, and again, those pretty water elements such as blue glass or small water falls!

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Tips for Apartment Gardening

So here is a great video I found on tips for growing a porch or balcony garden.  The key is utilizing pots and planters, the proper plants, and figuring out what is right for your environment and light levels.

There are so really neat ideas on this video for small space solutions.  I really want to purchase a couple of these wall hangings to plant on my very own patio!  Although, I no longer live in an apartment I think this video still showcases a lot of great tips for anyone who likes to garden!

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Container Gardening

One home I rented had a concrete backyard -as do most homes and apartments in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. During that time I utilized growing herbs, flowers, and plants in containers. It was a great way to still feel a bit of the outdoor life and nature, even in a concrete jungle.

This is also great for people who have dogs. Personally, I cannot plant in my backyard because my dogs would eat the vegetation when they are let outside to go potty. At this point I use containers, shadow boxes, and other vessels to keep life in the backyard. If this sounds like you, check out this video on container gardening tips!

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These dog-shaped planters are made from recycled polyethylene and are waterproof, colorfast and maintenance-free for indoor/outdoor use. They are available in Terrier, Golden, French Bulldog and Dachshund, and are $79.95 each. Buy them here.

 
 This Dachshund Whirlygig is handcrafted–when the wind blows, the front flower spins and the dog’s mouth opens and closes, while a flexible spring lets the tail wag, too. It’s $49.95 here.

This Rock Hound is handcut by California artist Susan Regert and costs $49.95 here.

These mini indoor/outdoor pup planters are sculpted with eccentric glee in steel with a rustic patina. They are available in Muttley, Pug, Dachshund, Yorkie, and Chihuahua for $19.95 each here.

 
These Sculptural Topiaries arrive lush and maintain their verdant hue.  Breeds include Chihuahua, Dachshund, Jack Russ, and Poodle for $139 each here.

This Silver Washer Dog has been handcrafted in metal with colored glass eyes and a springy head and tail. It costs $49.95 here.

These Lighted Wire Art sculptures are wound with decorative white lights that give off a soft, enchanting glow. The sturdy, rust-resistant metal wire frames have a double-epoxy powder coating. They cost $139 each here.
 

These Metal Dog Planters are perfect indoors or out. Their heads move, and tails wag in greeting. Available in Gertrude, Buddy, Heddy, Scout, and Ugga, for $39.95 each here.
 

These Haute Steel Garden Stakes are cut from steel, rusted and sealed with clear acrylic. There are 25 breeds available, each was $49.95, but are currently on sale for  $39.95 each here.

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For new gardeners, those hanging baskets can be a little overwhelming.  On one hand, everyone would love to have a hanging basket or two, or three, but for many, that is a big investment to make on a basket.  of course, anyone can make a hanging basket for a lower price but as a new gardener, it can be a little daunting and most are left with the certainty that they would never be able to produce the same effects as the garden center.

But that is not true and even new gardener’s can create a beautiful hanging basket. All they need to do is follow this step by step how to guide.

What you need:

• Large bucket
• Wire Basket:  You can pick these up at craft and garden stores.  They don’t have a solid bottom but instead have a wire frame instead.
• Peat Moss:  If you don’t want to use peat moss, you can use black plastic instead.
• Potting Soil
• Plants
• Watering Can
• Gardening Gloves:  This is important if you are using peat moss but using gardening gloves will protect your hands for all your gardening projects.

Directions:

1. Place the hanging basket frame into the large bucket so it is resting on the top. This is to provide you with a workspace so the basket doesn’t shift as you work.
2. Take the peat moss and line the bottom and sides of the frame.  If you are using the black plastic, simply line the basket with the plastic.  Do not trim the excess plastic until later.
3. Using the potting soil, fill half of the hanging basket.  Make sure that you fix the plastic so it is not bunching at the sides and the bottom.  You will want as clean a surface as possible.
4. At this point, you can either fill the basket with flowers or you can have planting holes in the sides of your basket.  To do the latter, simply cut a small hole in the peat moss or plastic and carefully insert the roots of a plant through the holes.  Make sure you pack the soil around the roots to prevent slipping and to ensure the best growth for the plant.
5. Once you are done with the side plantings, fill the top of the basket with your plants.  You do not need to dig down into the soil to do this, simply arrange the plants and that is it.
6. After the plants are in place, take more potting soil and fill in around the plants.
7. Pack the potting soil down and bring the level of potting soil to just below the rim of the hanging basket.
8. Trim away the excess black plastic so it is even with the rim.
9. Repack any of the soil that may have come lose when you were trimming and make sure that the soil is firm around the plants.  Add more potting soil if you need to to ensure that the plants are in firm soil.
10. Water the hanging basket and then hang it in the place where you would like it to go.

And once you are done, you will see how easy it can be to create your very own hanging baskets.  The only problem you will probably have is making too many.

Sirena Van Schaik

Hanging Basket on Light Post Credit: © Tektite | Dreamstime.com

Hanging Basket Photo Credit: © Ulga | Dreamstime.com

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