Last year we really failed to seize the opportunities of spring planting. Now, though the 365 day nature play challenge is technically over, we’re going to do it properly! Blog starts here and will grow with the plants.
Planning
February-March
It’s late February, grey, raining and generally a bit rubbish. It’s time to start planning for spring…
What do you want to grow?
Where are you going to put the seedlings…
and where will you put the grown plants?
Can you make a feature? A fairy house maybe? Or a pirate ship? A place for gnomes to live or a house for the birds? Where will you position it?
We decide we want at least 6 different types of seeds. B is going to make a fairy house, on stones in a moat to go in the middle of a plant pot (she uses a drip tray as the base). I want things that will get big. We also both want some sort of fruit and/or vegetable.
We have a rabbit infestation in the back garden which makes putting anything out there totally pointless. We’re going to tackle it by keeping plants inside, putting them in the front garden and putting some on the roof of the shed in a tub.
Visiting the supermarket or garden centre
March
If you don’t want to spend a lot the supermarket it definitely the safer option. They normally have 3 for 2 offers on seeds and can provide all the basics. Essentials are going to be:
- Compost
- Containers for seeds
- Seeds
Everything else is probably an optional extra.
If you don’t mind spending a bit more a trip to the garden centre can be marvellous for fostering kids interest in plants. Maybe set a budget and send the kids off to see what they can find? This has it’s dangers obviously. If B is any guide they’re going to like the grown plants a lot more than the seeds. Maybe best to just not let them look at them in the first place!
We really tried to be sensible and practical but failed as usual. We came back from the garden centre with about 9 packets of seeds (cut down from the 20 odd B started out with), some flowering bulbs and some primroses (I really don’t take my own advice). Hopefully it will all turn out for the best.
Read the seed packets
If possible do this before you buy them. We generally fail to do this and find ourselves with the wrong containers for the seeds we’ve got. If kids are old enough get them to read them and work out the logistics.
Things to look out for:
- Are they to be sown indoors or outdoors?
- What month should they be planted?
- Do they need to go in individual pots or lots together in a tray
- How big do they grow?
- How long do they take?
Keep an eye out for seeds which take over a year to grow. These are probably going to test the kid’s patience.
We have a lot of little seeds pots and I’ve cleaned out some larger pots that were hanging around the garden. We have managed to buy lavender that flowers a year on but apart from that all are this year. We’ve got sweet peas, sunflowers, pansy, blue grass, nasturtiums, baby sweetcorn, tomatoes, strawberries, peas, kale and delphiniums.
Good options for kids
There are a few classic options which work really well with kids.
- Peas (they’ll grow outside from seed and are very edible
- Broad beans (bigger versions of peas which can be peeled twice when grown)
- Sunflowers (great if you want something large and dramatic)
- Cress (very fast to grow and edible)
- Nasturtiums (grow big and also edible)
- Strawberries (not the easiest but worth it for the sweet reward)
- Tomatoes (ditto)
- Easy grow flowers (look for special seed packs in shops)
Planting
I strongly recommend preparing the planting before introducing the kids. In my experience B gets bored otherwise before it’s ready for her to do anything.
I think the most satisfying way to plant seeds for kids is with a pencil. You make a hole, add the seed in and cover it up with the earth. It’s satisfying and, if the kids are in a ‘urgh, compost is dirty’ phase they don’t have to touch it. Doesn’t work for all seeds though.
Scattering can be really fun outside on a big area with little kids. We did it with grass seed and wild flowers last year. The rabbits ate it all so it was pointless but B enjoyed the process.
Watering is something all kids seems to like?!
Checking in
Then you just have to wait and see what grows for a bit. It’s really exciting when the first bits of green emerge. We over watered our seedlings and got little mushrooms as well.
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