The Inadvertent Farmer

kinderGARDENS 2011 Preview, Gardening with Children

Well here we are fellow soil-lovers...its actually spring 2011...how did that happen?

It is time for KinderGARDENS again!

We'll keep it on Thursdays just like last year and we'll start...

May 5, 2011

And go through September with the winners being announced...

October 6, 2011

That's 5 whole months of gardening with our (or borrowed) kiddos and sharing our gardens with each other...seriously I can't wait! 

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Here are some of the ideas that I (or you) have come up with...

Gardening for the hungry, adding an extra row or two for the hungry in our communities and teaching our kids the joy of giving and coming back here to share our experiences! (Thanks Cathryn for the idea)

Doing a post on using Vertical elements in our childrens' gardens from arbors to potato condos! (thanks Susan and Rebecca for the inspiration)

Crafting from our gardens...leaf exchange, stepping stones, potato stamps, etc.

Cooking with kids...recipe exchange of our very best ideas for using our produce in a kid friendly way.

Adding whimsy to veggies...the best way to add a little pizzaz to our gardens, art, labels, gnomes anyone?

Recycling in the garden...using what we have or can get for free for our gardens

?????...I know you have some brilliant ideas that we can use here!  Feel free to shout it out or email me with your ideas.

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I have not figured out the categories for the winners yet. 

I will have to do something different for prizes this year...last year all the books and gift cards were 'out of pocket' and this year things are a bit (ok a lot) tighter budget-wise.  I will try to get some sponsors for the contest.  If anyone has ideas for sponsors or how to get them for our KinderGARDENS series let me know.

I do have some prize ideas that will be fun...so not to worry!

We're doing our maze again this year...but instead of sunflowers I'm seriously considering using hops!  Has anyone any experience with growing hops?  If so feel free to share any advice you have!

They are a very fast growing vine that is pretty cool looking...could make for a very jungle-like maze!

Maybe I could add a tunnel...

Ohhhh the possibilities!

Come back on the first Thursday of May (or sooner I hope :)  ready to share your plans for this year's gardening season with our kids...little or big, it doesn't matter...as long as they are willing to get dirty!

 

Gardening with Children...are you ready...am I?

So here is a recap of my winter...

• Mom diagnosed with cancer

• Mom starts chemo

• Remodel apartment over garage

• Mom moves in with us

• Mom continues chemo

• Father-in-law diagnosed with cancer

• I start CASA training

• We rent mom's house after interviewing 10,000 people

• I finish CASA and am sworn in

• Mom has surgery

• I get my first case (abused 9 month old...sigh)

• Father-in-law has surgery

Oh and I almost forgot

• My firstborn got married...in my house!

All the while homeschooling, mothering, cleaning, cooking, teaching a church class, being a wife and camel caretaker.

I seriously considered shutting down this blog and burying my head in one of my raised beds...seriously I did.

But then there was these on my hard drive...

And I remember that over 40 of you joined me last year for KinderGARDENS...and I just could not bear the thought of not visiting all of you again in your gardens and seeing your kiddos get their hands dirty!

And I have plans...BIG plans and I want to share them with you too!

So if you all are ready, I think we should start talking a little about KinderGARDENS for this year.  Please feel free to shout out any ideas you guys have to make this year's contest even better.

So for now let's put on our thinking caps and meet back here next week same time...same place and get ready to get dirty!

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And for last year's winners...

I still have several gift cards waiting here on my desk.

Please email me at:

[email protected]

and give my your address so I can get them sent to you just in time for spring gardening!

 

kinderGARDENS winners

Well we are finally here! 

I must say it feels like everyone...especially the kids...have been the winners in all of this!

I just want to say thank you for helping encourage and nurture the next generation of gardeners...those that know where 'real food' comes from!

So without further chit chat from me I'm going to announce the winners...

Wait... I first have to thank our esteemed judges for their great help!  One is putting the finishing touches on her book and the other is trying to plan and execute a long distant vacation with many small children (most of them boys!)  So Susan and Ashley Ann...thanks from the bottom of my garden lovin' heart for putting in the time to do this!

Where were we?

Oh yeah...the winners!

*I'm going to start with best use of re-use/recycle in the garden.  That goes to the Farrm!  The re-use of some sunflower stalks from a past garden for a bean teepee was brilliant...although may I suggest not using bush beans next time...giggle!

*The best use of vegetables.  That honor goes with much appreciation from our judges to Faith*Buss with her darling kiddos and their shopping for vegetables in their little red shopping cart...they melted our hearts every single week!

*Then there is the best use of flowers.  I was awed by all the sunflowers that I saw in everyone's post.  But the goth garden with black and white flowers that was planted by a teenager is the winner...anytime you get a teen in the garden your have done something magical! So My Freezer is Full wins for flowers!

*Finally there is the person that was most involved...the best cheerleader!  About a Bug posted almost every single week.  She was sweet enough to go and comment on other's posts all the time, her enthusiasm made me smile.  So the cheerleader award goes to About a Bug!

And finally we have our best overall in the eyes of our judges.

They chose the one that they felt depicted the spirit of the kinderGARDENS contest best.  I must agree that this family went all out to make the garden a magical place for their child...and the groovy tunnel helped too!  So Thanks for Lemonade is our judges' pick!

I must say that I am so glad that I did not have to do the judging for that...you all rocked quite frankly and I would have been up for days trying to decide!

Now it is your turn.

I have set up a poll in the side bar and you get to decided the 'people's choice award'.  I have narrowed it down as to not be too overwhelming...you get to choose your favorite garden of the series.

The poll is open until next Tuesday so make sure you vote for your very favorite garden!

And please remember that we are definitely doing this again next year...God willing...so get out your seed catalogs and graft paper...sharpen your pencils and get to planning!

I know already that I want one of these for next year...

And one of these...

And maybe even one of these!

 But I hope I don't have to wait until next spring to 'see' you, my gardening friends...I hope you still come around to visit me here on the funny farm once in a while!

 

HOLD THE PRESSES...Susan our wonderful landscape desiger judge has a few of her own awards!  Please go and take a look...there are some awefully cute kiddos over there!

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Note  All winners need to contact me at my email address:

theinadvertentfarmer(at)gmail.com

kinderGARDENS Finale!

Well here we are at the final week of our kinderGARDENS series.

I have been super busy this week cleaning out our apartment for my mom and sitting in on her first chemotherapy treatments (which blessedly have been much better than expected)

So instead of going on and on...per my usual, I'm going to make this short and sweet...

You guys rock!

You have so inspired me and encouraged me with your dedication to your gardens and more importantly you kiddos.

So thanks...I have looked forward to each and every Thursday when I get to peek into your gardens and your lives.

I will seriously miss this!

So without further ado I'm going to let you all link up (note: the link is only active through Saturday to give our judges time to look over them) for your recaps of this summers kinderGARDENS...I can't wait to see them!

And I'll see you next week for the winners...and a few surprises!

 

 

kinderGARDENS we have Dinosaurs and Rain!

Before I get to my update I wanted to let you know that next week is the last week to post about your gardens.  Make it a post that combines all the best ideas and most wonderful things you have grown over the kinderGARDENS series.

Make a post that pulls it all together for our judges to take a look at.

Remember there will be the following categories...

Best over all (decided by the judges)

Readers choice ( I will set up a poll for everyone to vote their favorite)

There are also 4 sub-categories (if applicable)

Best re-use or re-cycle

Best use of veggies

Best use of flowers

Most whimsical

And I will also pick the winner of most for the one of you that has been the most involved in posting, commenting on other's post, etc....the best cheerleader!

The following week winners will be announced!

So put together the best of the best of your children's garden posts over the last 23+ weeks!

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OK folks we have...RAIN!

I know living in the Pacific Northwest that must be shocking to you but we have rain and will probably have it for the next say...9 months or so!

In spite of the rain our little maze is going great!

Although it is about time to take down our 'summer' banner before it starts to mildew...darn weather.

Oh and look at my chicken house...I painted it purple!

I must send out a HUGE thank you to Susan Morrison (one of our judges) for giving me the inspiration and courage to pick up a bucket of paint called 'blackberry wine'!  Without out her post on purple in the garden I never would have even considered it.

And I must say I love, LOVE it...so thanks Susan!

LOOK...we now have a roof covered with gourds!

Too bad the little guys don't have a hope in the world of ripening...sigh.

Sunflowers are drooping under the weight of ripening seeds and drippy weather.

We have begun harvesting and drying seeds for roasting later this month...yum!

I'm not holding out much hope for corn to ripen either...but it has made a fun addition to the maze whether we get fresh corn or not.

Our beans are still going strong.  And I must say are even more lovely adorned with little jewels of rain!

As are the gourd blossoms.

And one last very, very good thing about all this rain...

It means its time to break out the dinosaur boots....grrrrrrr!

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So do tell...

What have you been up to in the garden this week!

 

Hobbits and Giant Zucchini kinderGARDENS 21

Wow...its September already!

I cannot believe that we have all been doing this for 21 weeks now...we're down to the homestretch.

We've got 3 more weeks then the winners will be announced at the end of the month ...whoo hoo!

I was thinking this morning that the biggest winner of all has been the children.

When I think of the kids of 40 different families getting to have a say in their own little gardens it actually gets me all teary eyed...you guys rock...seriously!

Ok enough sappy stuff...

Onto my garden update.

Our largest sunflower are begining to open, the gourds are climbing across the roof, pumpkins are tucked everywhere in the maze, and picnics are a regular fixture of each day under the smiling faces of our sunflower friends. 

But...

We had a little adventure in forgetting where everything was planted.. 

Yes folks this is what happens when you forget that you tucked a zucchini plant in the back corner of your garden...ahem. 

There were 5 this size...ack!

We scraped out the seed cavity...

Shredded, and froze for this winter's zucchini bread.

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And just to tease you all...

Here is a peek at what is coming next week!

I must have one of these.

I will have one of these...

A hobbit house!

Next week you will get a peek at a field trip to the Oregon Gardens and the wonderful ideas found there! 

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So do tell...

What have you all been up to this week?

 

 

Lessons of a School Garden kinderGARDENS week 20

I am thrilled to have another wonderful guest writer here for the kinderGARDENS series.  Meet Theresa Loe.  She is the author of the blog Garden Fresh Living as well as the associate producer for Growing a Greener World a nationally televised PBS program!

She is also an urban homesteader who happens to have an amazing garden right in downtown LA.  She is a certified Master Food Preserver as well as a published author...phew, I'm tired just typing all that!

What impresses me even more than Theresa's amazing accomplishments is her passion...

Her passion for getting kids out and into the garden, for keeping it local, and for gardening organically for the sake of the health of her family and the planet...now that is impressive!

So as I could go on and on her but I will shut up now and let Theresa talk about Lessons from the School Garden...

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“We’re growing veggies AND composting at our school,” explains Dylan, a fourth grader at Center Street Elementary in Los Angeles, CA. He pauses and adds, “How cool is that?” Dylan’s school is currently creating an educational garden on campus and blending it with the school curriculum. One goal of the project is to use the garden as a curriculum integrator – eventually touching all topics of study.

To understand this project, it helps to first understand what an educational garden is. Basically, it is an outdoor classroom that is set in a working garden. It is a place where children can learn about science, math, ecology, language arts and even social studies. It can inspire writer’s workshops, art projects, nutrition awareness and increase hands-on science exploration.

An educational garden is a living laboratory where lessons are drawn from real-life experiences rather than textbook examples. A garden can teach children responsibility, cooperation, and a new appreciation for nature and ecology. They learn about environmental responsibility while cultivating their imagination. Many times, an educational garden will create lifelong gardeners, environmentalists and healthy eaters.

Gardens similar to the Center Street project are all over the country. Here in Southern California, many cities have at least one school with a garden. Most are trying to follow the success of The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California, a one-acre organic garden at the Martin Luther King Junior Middle School. That garden was started thirteen years ago by restaurateur, Alice Waters. Before the garden was implemented, the students there did not fully understand where their food came from. Now, they not only understand the growing process, they also eat the vegetables they grow. The Edible Schoolyard has become the model for other schools to follow.

  Educational gardens are also a response to the fact that today’s kids lack an exposure to nature. Children spend more time playing with electronic media (TV, video games, etc.) than they do enjoying the great outdoors and this lack of outside activity is taking its toll. Obesity and developmental problems are growing rapidly among America’s children. Many studies (including some by the Center for Environmental Health) have shown that contact with nature helps ease attention-deficit disorder, aids cognitive development, enhances creativity and reduces stress. The term “Nature Deficit Disorder” (coined by author, Richard Louv) is commonly used to describe the developmental problems cause by the lack of time outdoors. A school garden can be the springboard to get children and their families more connected to the outside world and reduce this condition.

But there is another reason that some schools are trying to get students outside. It is to balance what they feel are the effects of the “No Child Left Behind” program. Many schools have had to sacrifice some subjects (art, music, and environmental education) in order to focus more on the subjects found on the high-stakes tests (reading and math). With only so many hours in the school day, sometimes field trips and outdoor activities have been reduced to make room for test preparation. Balance has been hard to achieve. For this reason, a new movement called: “No Child Left INSIDE” is rapidly gaining in popularity. It is backed by a coalition that is setting up federal funding for schools to integrate more outdoor learning into their core subjects. Educational gardens are a part of that integration.
 Given the current state of the economy and the fact that California schools are facing huge budget cuts, it is truly amazing that Center Street Elementary is able to develop this educational project right now. But they seem to have luck and perseverance on their side.

The school principal, Ms. Janicek and a team of hard-working parents have been planning this garden and applying for educational grants for years. The grants they won are specifically designated for an educational garden. This means that the money cannot be used for any other purpose or it must be repaid. So while the school is looking for creative ways to budget, the garden has funding and team of volunteers to make this dream happen. With the support of the community and the school district, Center Street students are gaining a wonderful opportunity.

Center Street is also tying the garden into their new recycling program. A group of parents formed a branch of an environmental group (Grades of Green) with the goal of reducing the school’s waste and educating the students on proper recycling techniques. This group, along with some 4th and 5th grade students are working closely with the Garden Committee to coordinate composting in the garden. During lunchtime, Grades of Green teach the students to reduce their waste and sort their compostable items in special bins. These bins are then wheeled to the garden for the students to compost. Center Street is becoming one of the greenest schools in the district.

  “The students are already excited,” says Ms. Janicek, “And with the help of our parent volunteers, we will be able to continue this wonderful project!” Once the garden is up and running, parent volunteers will assist the kids with hands-on learning.  No gardening background is required. They are trained and guided by the garden docents who oversee the garden.

Center Street is well on its way to creating a magical learning experience for its students. All that is needed now is a little sunshine, water and some packages of seeds.

Theresa Loe is a freelance garden writer specializing in organic, edible gardening and gardening with children. For more information on gardening with children, visit Theresa’s website at www.LivingHomegrown.com.

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Those of you who would like to take a peek a Theresa's amazing urban homestead garden on her PBS show please go take a look here and let her know we appreciate all she does to promote gardening with children!

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So what did you do this week to promote gardening with children?

Learning from Mistakes & Successes kinderGARDENS week 19

This is the time of year I start thinking about what I have learned from this year's garden. 

There are things that I love and will repeat...

But there are also those that didn't work as planned that I will either scrap altogether or modify before doing again.

I keep trying to find a way to support tomatoes that I like better than cages.

I LOVE cages for support but HATE having to store them.  If you plant 50+ tomatoes, storing that many cages is a hassle.

So I've been experimenting with other things.  This year it was to support the rows instead of the individual plant.  Frankly it has been a unwieldy mess...

Some branches have gotten to big and heavy that they lay all over their neighbors making it hard to see what is growing beneath.

Next year I'll try something else...maybe staking each plant.

Although the maze has been a huge success I have also learned from it too.

I made the path just too narrow.  I wanted them to be child-size but I have noticed my kids have to turn sideways to get through the jungle of gourds. beans and sunflowers.

I want them narrow enough to feel 'hide-out' like but wide enough that they can actually run around the maze without worrying about breaking off plants.

I have also decided that now that the gourds have started growing across it I like having a roof...until now I just bonked my head on it.

I'm thinking next year I should make it arched so I can stand up under it!

This week I have started my plans for next years garden based on what I've learned this year.

What about you? 

Have you had some things you would do differently? 

How about things that have been great triumphs that you will do again next year?

And what is you favorite way of supporting large amounts of tomatoes...I'm getting desperate out here!

Sunflowers and Ladybugs kinderGARDENS week 18

After a generally overcast and cool (highs in the upper 60's low 70's F) we finally are enjoying some sunshine around here!

I am hoping that the sun will encourage my woefully behind warm season crops to hurry up and ripen.

Our sunflowers are beginning to open their pretty little faces which makes for some lovely photo opportunities...

At first I was sorry that I hadn't planted all of the very large varieties of sunflowers around the maze.  But I have come to enjoy the shorter ones because the kids can more easily see them... and I don't have to get a ladder to photograph them!

We do although have some mammoth sunflowers growing around the inner circle.

Soon they will be over the top of the fencing, the kids love to go and sit in there and eat lunch or just hang out under the big leaves of the fast growing flowers!

Sunflowers are stunning from all angles...try looking directly down on one and see what you can see!

We have also spotted lots of lady bugs on them.

 

Notice something in the photo above?

I didn't until I downloaded these because I was so busy trying to get a good focus on the ladybug...

I wonder if Mr. Spider was the reason our little red beetle friend was hiding so quietly in the sunflower bud?

We've also been busy doing this...

Gardens are so much more than planting and watering!  The harvesting and putting up is what consumes us this time of year!

So until next week I'll be chained to the canner or dehydrator while the kids chill in their maze!

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Public service announcements...

Someone asked last week how long the contest ran.  I actually had to go back to the first post and find out myself...kinderGARDENS is running through the end of September.

I was also asked if I'm going to do it again next year...you bet!  This has been so much fun and you guys are soooo inspiring that I cannot imagine not having this to participate in next summer!

Finally when you click on the kinderGARDENS button in the right sidebar it now takes you to a page that has all of the past weeks of our contest.  So if you want to remember what you did on a specific week just go to that page and find it!

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All right then...your turn!

What have you all been up to this week?

Praying Mantis Nests kinderGARDENS for older Kids too!

Welcome to kinderGARDENS version 17!  As promised I have another wonderful guest writer for you today.  Please Welcome Back Rebecca of Gossip in the Garden!

If you haven't visited her site you are missing a gardening treat beyond measure...seriously cool stuff over there.

Speaking of cool stuff, I want to be the first to let you all know that Rebecca and our other guest writer Susan Morrison have collaborated on a new gardening book called 'Garden Up' about vertical gardening! 

Check this out!

Yep I pretty much have the coolest guest bloggers in the gardening world...in my humble opinion!  Their book comes out next spring...just in time for another kinderGARDENS series (yes of course I will do this again...too fun not to! )

So without further chit chat from me here is Rebecca...

Praying Mantis Nest...for the tough-to-please teenager

This year I’ve written a few things about how to engage your older kids in the garden.  Definitely not as easy as when they were young!  It takes a little more craftiness than having their own ‘big kid shovel’ to lure some of these kids (my daughter being a perfect example) back into the garden, so I’m always trying to get creative.

One foolproof method is if you can find anything the slightest bit icky – such as my mushroom experiment.  One of my biggest successes to date has been bringing a few praying mantis nests home from the nursery.

You can usually find packages of praying mantis nests at your local nursery (about $7.00 for a package of 2).  We’ve purchased them in the past, always hoping they hatch and providing us with at least one praying mantis we can watch throughout the Summer. They’re somewhat territorial insects so they tend to hang out in one location in the garden, and it’s always fun to have an ‘easter egg hunt’ of sorts to try and find him (or her).

We keep these little nests in a warm location in the house (in a plastic terrarium – not loose)!  It seems some years they hatch, others they don’t.

Lucky for us, this one decided to hatch and I was fortunate enough to find it just as they were emerging from their cocoon!  I quickly put them outside as they’re absolutely VORACIOUS when they emerge, and will start eating eachother – ICK!  If you can find an aphid-covered rosebush, or some other such ‘buffet’, they will start feasting immediately!  Be careful, though, because as soon as the little birds in your garden get wind that you’re setting out their next meal, they’ll swoop down and start their own feast (this is a little traumatic, even for those hardened teenagers).  Also, make sure there’s no little spider webs around as the babies are clueless and will wander right in.

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Yesterday I found one of these little guys, who’s now about one month old.  He’s only about 1″ long, but if he survives the birds and spiders he’ll get to be as long as 6 – 7″. .

And don’t forget, they’re wonderful as pest management! .

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I don't know about you guys but next year I am absolutely for sure going to do this!  What a great way to teach kids about insects, and science, and beneficials in the garden...seriously cool!

And please check out Rebecca's link in the post to her mushroom experiment...another uber cool project for big kids as well as little ones!  Not to mention yummy...

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OK...I'm turning the mike over to you guys.  What have you done this week in your kinderGARDEN?

Potatoes Plums and other Harvest Pleasures kinderGARDENS week 16

Welcome to another addition of kinderGARDENS its week 16 already...wow!  We are finally in full harvest mode here on the funny farm...

Raspberries sweet and juicy...

It's now that all the hard work of planting and tending pays off!

Digging in the straw for potatoes.  Planting potatoes in straw is by far my favorite way to plant them...they come out clean and no heavy digging involved!

Fresh potatoes roasted on the BBQ with olive oil and spices...somebody just can't wait!

We are still harvesting a few peas, lots of greens and the summer squash is coming on!

I'm lucky to have a sister that does not like plums.

She doesn't like plums you ask?  Yep so we get to pick all the yellow plums on her plum tree...silly girl!

I say 'we' pick, but more accurately 'I' pick and kids watch and play under the great old tree!

What are your going to do with all those plums?

Ah its a secret...you will have to visit next week to find out.  But be assured it involves  tons yummy fruit and lots of sugar!

Finally we have a couple of additions to our maze...

We now have two little red Adirondack chairs to lounge upon while hanging out with the sunflowers!

We also have a pretty little flag fluttering from the top of our maze to go along with the great summer banner!  Now if the plants would just hurry up and grow faster (and the kids slower) the maze would be perfect!

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I know this time of year is so very busy for we gardeners, but make sure to share your kindergARDEN posts.  We are getting near the end of our series and will need as many great posts as we can for the final judging!  If you have forgotten what you can win make sure to check back to the first kindergarden post!

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Next week we have another wonderful guest writer so make sure to come back ready to learn and share!

Design Tips for Children's Gardens, KinderGARDENS week 15

Happy kinderGARDEN Thursday all!  Today I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming back our esteemed in house garden designer Susan from the Blue Planet Garden Blog.  Not only is she a professional garden designer but she is also one of our judges here at the kinderGARDEN contest...so put on your listening ears kiddies!

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I create all kinds of gardens for all kinds of people, and my favorites to design aren’t necessarily those with the biggest budgets or the most innovative features. Instead, I’m most inspired when I’m working on a garden that I know will truly be USED, and families with young children almost always fit that description. While there aren’t any rules for designing a garden that includes kids, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Think Flexible

A new garden can be expensive, and features that work for families with young children, older children or no children at all make the best investment since a family’s dynamic changes over time. A design strategy I’ve used more than once is what one of my clients dubbed The Racetrack Design, a winding DG path that circles the lawn and weaves in and out of planting beds. For adults, a path like this is a wonderful way to enjoy the garden, while for kids (and dogs) it’s a continuous racetrack, and perfect for wagons, tricycles and games.

Keep it Safe

Are there poisonous plants at a level where very young children can reach them? If you’re not sure, Google “poisonous plants” and all sorts of lists will pop up. Don’t get TOO carried away; many plants rely on some level of toxicity as a natural defense mechanism and for the most part, small children are unlikely to randomly stuff flowers and leaves into their mouths. I try to avoid plants that I know will have an inherent appeal for the curious, such as those with berries that can upset stomachs (like Hollyberries) or ones with sticky sap that may irritate skin or eyes (like Euphorbias). If your child is allergic to bees, be judicious in adding bee-magnets like lavender and catmint close to play areas. To me, a garden isn’t complete without a water feature, but standing water is a big no-no in a garden where small children might play unsupervised. This photo shows a custom fountain I designed for grandparents who regularly babysit for their granddaughters. There’s no above ground reservoir for a child to fall into, but the grandkids quickly learned that a few well placed stones diverts the water from a gentle trickle to a much splashier spray, and they love playing around it on hot days.

Segregate AND Integrate

This photo shows a recently installed children’s play space for one of my favorite clients.

Adjacent to the play structure is a flagstone patio laid out like a giant flower, reached via a miniature maze and half hidden from the rest of the garden. Adults are “invitation only,” and the area is big enough to host different activities as their daughter gets older. On the other hand, we decided NOT to include a special children’s garden. Baby Eme’s mother is a passionate gardener, and she already likes to follow her mom around the garden with an empty watering can and pretend to water. The idea of having a 100% separate children’s garden seemed counter-intuitive to encouraging gardening as a shared family experience. As she gets older, Eme can decide with her mom what to plant in any part of the garden.

And finally, enjoy your garden! If your kids see you spending time outdoors, they won’t need any special additions to enjoy it with you.

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So What have you and the kids been up to this week?

kinderGARDENS week 14 Corn, Sunflowers and Flags!

Can you believe we are half way through July?  For us here in the Pacific Northwest summer started just about a week ago...which better mean it lasts well into October to be fair!

I wanted to show you something...

 

Our maze has a new decoration!

A great bloggy friend of mine Laura over at Our House of Joyful Noise who has a  lovely blog, she also happens to homeschool, and craft, and garden, and take photos...yes we could be twins.

Well except for the camel thing...

That and she is brunette and I'm blonde

And I'm old...

And she's not.

She's Catholic...

I'm Protestant

Besides that we are exactly alike!

Anyway this is what I won...

Isn't that just about the darn cutest banner you ever saw!  I'm sure that someone came to my blog, say my photo, and used me as a model for that happy summer chick!

Yes I garden in a cute little short dress and darling hat.

I also have legs that are long and skinny just like that...

Really I do!

Moving on...

It is now adorning the entrance to our sunflower maze.  Speaking of...

Now that there is actually some sun our sunflowers are starting to grow...Hallelujah!

And beneath one of the sunflowers there is this...

We have nasturtiums blooming!

This photo actually reminded me of this...

Yes I actually stayed up way to late playing with my computer...no I did not do laundry...or dishes.  But I made swans!

All together now...Ahhhhh.

We also have corn finally coming up after 3 plantings...they all drowned.

We've also had slugs and mosquitoes galore with the very wet spring/early summer.

In fact the top story of the front page in our local newspaper said this...

"Go ahead, gripe about the mosquitoes. You're justified."

Our county has 19 kinds of mosquitoes NINETEEN!  They've all hatched in the last week...seriously!

I hate the little blood suckers...we have had to be so careful with bug spray and such.  We usually don't have many issues with them in July but alas another dreadful side effect of the wet...bleck!

So the slugs are eating my sunflowers and the mosquitoes are sucking my blood...other than that all is peachy!

But the flowers are blooming...

Maximilian sunflower, perennial get over 5' tall!

And the sun is out...so I'm not gonna complain!

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And some great news!  Susan of the Blue Planet Garden Blog one of our rockin' judges has a post for next week that actually covers designing a gardens with children in mind  She is a professional designer...unlike me who designs by the seat of my pants...so to speak.

So make sure to visit next week for something that is actually constructive!

Here is the link to Susan's first guest post...it was great so in case you missed it, check it out!

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So my dear readers and kinderGARDEN participants...what have you been up to this week?

I Believe in Tomatoes, kinderGARDENS week 13!

After enduring one of the very wettest spring/early summers on record I still hold tight to some steadfast beliefs of my garden...

I believe that the tomatoes will eventually ripen...

I believe that after months of rain that the sun will always come out and warm my soul...

I'm sure that our 4th and final planting of beans will actually sprout instead of rot.

Well pretty sure....

I have faith that the slugs won't get all the strawberries...

And I believe that they are better eaten out of hand...a dirty hand to be specific!

I desperately believe that honey bees will rebound...

And lastly I believe that there are indeed monsters in my garden!

So what do you believe this week?

Making a recycled Boot Planter, kinderGARDENS week 12

Week 12 is here, we've made it to July!

I also wanted to let you know that we are now 40 participants strong!  Can you believe it?  That means 40 sets of little kids and big kids are now actively gardening, learning to grow their own food, and exploring the joys of being in the garden...I could not be more thrilled! 

This week is a little tutorial...

Yes there is a boot on our back patio table!

Each year we go down to the local farmer's market and I let the kids pick out a couple of flowers to decorate the patio with.  This year we went just a tad overboard and completely ran out of pots.

So Sweet Girl and I decided to take one of her old boots (the other had already been thrown out because it was cracked) and plant one of her flowers in it!

Step one...find old boot and take it in your well manicured hand.

Step two...drill hole in bottom of the boot for drainage.

Step three...leave the drill all pink so hubby thinks someone has been drilling into a Pepto-Bismol bottle!

Step four...fill the bottom of the boot with wet potting soil.  Forget to take photo of step four!

Step five...compact the squish the roots of your flower to fit into the opening of the boot. 

So why can't I do this this to my waist? No matter how hard I try I cannot squeeze it into the opening of those old jeans. Just sayin'

Step six...watch your sweet daughter grab everyone's hand when they come to visit and drag them to show off the old boot with her special most favorite flower planted in it!

Step seven...smile because she thinks your the coolest mama in the world...

which I am!

You all can stop laughing now...

Seriously...enough already!

There you have it a recycled boot planter.  So what have you all been up to this week?

Come on fess up...

I know you want to!

kinderGARDENS week 11...we have SUNSHINE and Pigeons!

Sorry for the lateness of the post this morning...I'm having HUGE internet issues!  I haven't even been able to read Pioneer Woman this morning...

I hope this is not a sign of how the whole day will go.

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Finally the sun has been out an amazing three days in a row here in the drippy Northwest!  I can almost here the sighs of relief and the lifting of spirits.

Before I get to my garden update I need to introduce you to a couple of new additions to our family.

My 22 year old who works at Lowes called me up earlier this week from work wanting me to look on the internet to see how to feed baby...

Pigeons!

It seems a mama pigeon had hatched out a couple of babies in a box that got moved.  By the time they were found no one knew where the box came from or how to get them back to their mama.

So my bird-lovin' 2nd son brought them home to hand feed.  And since he works full time that leaves the day time feeding to me!

I'm thinkin' we should name them 'ugly' and 'uglier'...

I read somewhere that nature made baby animals so cute that it helped ensure their survival...

Guess they never saw a baby pigeon!

Its a wonder this species survived at all if that were indeed the case...

Then again to a mama pigeon they may be just darling.

To me...not so much!

So every 4 to 5 hours we're doing this...

Mixing formula with warm water, putting it into a feeding syringe and spending the next 30 or so minutes feeding these little ones.

Never a dull moment here on the funny farm!

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Now a garden update...and if you are wondering where Sweet Girl is in all these pictures...she was behind the camera for many of them!

We planted grapes in two barrels I had that the bottoms had rotted out.  We planted them on either side of one of the garden gates.

I let the kids pick out some flowers at the store and we planted them around the pomegranate bush.

 

As you can see they have been keeping them very well watered!

We have been harvesting peas, strawberries, raspberries, lettuce and all sorts of greens.  When I go to the garden to pick I take along my lovely basket...it makes me feel like Martha Stewart.

This is what the kids like to harvest in...

Betcha' even Martha has never harvested kale in a popcorn bucket!

So what have you guys been up to this week?

 

 

kinderGARDENS week 10 book Review and Giveaway!

We made it to week 10!  I must say that our garden right now is just kind of hanging out...not really growing much due to our record breaking rains and cold.  It has still been getting down into the 40's at night!  My tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and basil are not amused!

But there have been a few fleeting but glorious sunbreaks...

The kids run out at every little break in weather...

A little running...

A little flower picking...

The bees take advantage of the few breaks too!

We have peas...wet peas but peas nonetheless!

The littlest of strawberries are beginning to ripen...I haven't had any...the kids find them first!  In fact the kids were hovering about when I took this picture and snatched these as soon as the photo was snapped!

And I just looked at the weather report...the whole of next week will either be cloudy or rainy...highs in the mid 60's lows in the upper 40's.  I'm trying really hard to not be grouchy about  this.

Mr. Weather man...you're fired!

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As promised I have a book review for you.

There are two things that make my heart go pitter pat when it comes to children's books...great illustrations and words that rhyme!  I'm a sucker every time for these and when a book has both...be still my heart!

 

Who Grew my Soup?

Written by Tom Barbyshire and Illustrated by C.F.Payne

This is story about a little boy named Phineas Quinn who is called in one afternoon for a bowl of vegetable soup.  The ensuing adventure is hilarious...

Who doesn't love a book that rhymes sugars and boogers...I guarantee your kids will be in gales of laughter!

As young Phin is demanding to know who grew his soup, a man with a soup-pot hat and a hot-air tomato balloon swoops down to take Phin to meet the farmers the grew the vegetables for his soup.

He meets farmer Hitchner who grew the carrots for his soup. Phin is at first disgusted that carrots actually grow in the dirt...

"They grow in the DIRT?" Young Phin nearly gagged.

"Gee, I've only seen them in stores, washed and bagged."

The farmer picks a carrot for Phin to try...

Phin would rather get cooties,

    but being polite,

he knew he had not choice-

he must take a bite.

So he tried just a nibble

the smallest of munches

and soon he was making great bunches of crunches.

"Hey, this isn't bad! This carrot's incredible!

It's sweet, what a treat!

Say this root is quite edible!"

Yes this book is absolutely hilarious for both kids and adults.  You meet a variety of farmers in the book and surprise, they are real farmers!  You get to meet them in the back of the book.

Of course in the end young Phin learns to love vegetable soup.

The only issue I personally have is that the book was underwritten by Cambell's Soups.  I prefer kids to grow their own vegetables and then have homemade veggie soup, not something from a can with too much sodium and veggies that are not organic...BUT it does not say in the story itself that the soup came from a can or what brand it is.  I did not realize who sponsored this book until I read the very back pages and looked at the back cover.

So with that being said I think this is a wonderful book that you and your kiddos will enjoy greatly! 

I'll not take one sip of this vegetable goop

unless you tell me this:

WHO GREW MY SOUP?

Leave a comment on this post between now and Monday at 7am Pacific Time and you will have a chance to win this book!

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So what have you all been up to this week?

kinderGARDENS week 9 through a Child's Eyes

This week's assignment was to hand over your cameras to your children.  I gave mine to Sweet Girl who is 7 and let her loose in the garden.

So here are a few shots though the eyes of my child...

Why did you take a picture of the chicken house?

I wasn't mama...I was taking a picture of the little bird on the fence.

What did you find interesting about the melon patch?

I didn't...I was taking pictures of the llamas.  But it does kind of look like craters on the moon.

Yes I suppose it does!

I like our baby pumpkins by the maze...

So do I sweetie!

How come a picture of the goat?

He was watching us through the fence...besides he's cute!

That's a very good picture you took.

Thanks mama!

When I downloaded this picture I could not figure out why in the world...

OK...I'm a little puzzled.  Why did you take a picture of the camel's knees.

Because they are muddy, I think that's kinda funny.  I get my knees muddy too...it means I've been having fun.  Gizmo must have been having lots of fun to get so muddy.

I love you sweetie.

I love you to mama.

Can I use your camera again?

Of course...but no more camel knees, they kind of scare me.

Giggling.  You're silly mama!

Yeah but I didn't take pictures of a muddy camel...that makes you much sillier than me.

Giggling...

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So fellow gardeners...were some of you brave enough to hand over your precious cameras to your little ones?

Were you surprised at what you found? 

If you did please, do share! 

Make sure to share any garden updates too.

Next week will be another book giveaway...so make sure to come back for a chance to win another wonderful book!

kinderGARDENS week 8 Through the Eyes of Babes

As promised we have a guest writer with us today but before I get to that I wanted to show you something...

I am learning to be creative in the ways I show you how wet its been around here.  We had only 200% of our usual rainfall in May...

We are expected to get what would be our typical June rainfall in the first 4 of June! Yes as of tomorrow we will have had our fill for the whole month.

Actually I have had more than my fill...

As has my garden, the kids, the camel and the wagon!

So on that cheery note...

May I introduce to you Rebecca Sweet from Gossip in the Garden blog.  If you are wanting a little garden inspiration this is the blog to visit...seriously cool stuff over there!

She is a professional Landscape Designer who is also a mom. A gardener mom that just so happens to have been featured in Fine Gardening...more than once!  Her blog post 'Through the Eyes of Babes' was brought to my attention by our first guest poster Susan from the Blue Planet Blog.  I loved it instantly as a mom, gardener and someone who adores to take lots of photos I appreciated the encouragement to look through the eyes of our children! Rebecca graciously agreed to let me share it with you here!

Thanks you so much Rebecca!

Through the eyes of babes…

Emily, my 14-year old daughter, was able to spend a month in the south of France this Summer, staying with both sets of her best-friend’s grandparents who live in the villages Aix En Provence and Tholet.

Her father bought her a new camera for her birthday, and I pleaded with her to take lots of photos of French gardens for me. While it was hard for me to say goodbye for so long, I was selfishly excited to see what photos she would bring back.

Upon seeing the slideshow (all 958 photos….) I was absolutely speechless at her creativity and her artistic viewpoint.  But most of all I loved just seeing what SHE thought was interesting. (you can view her ‘pared down’ slideshow below)

This got me thinking….I wonder what my garden looks like to kids of all ages??  So, I asked some neighborhood kids (ages 4, 7, 12 & 16) to come over on different days, take my camera and shoot away.  No rules, no guidelines, no time limits, nothing.  Just the instructions to take photos of whatever they thought was ‘cool’. (okay – one rule – to please use the wrist strap at all times…)

Here are the results.

Logan – age 4

The biggest challenge with a 4-year old is to get them to SLOW DOWN.  Logan’s first 20 photos were really blurry as he was so busy running all OVER my garden – like a hummingbird racing from flower to flower. While his mother and I were busy chatting away, I noticed that on his own he naturally began to slow down and to really focus on what he was looking at – kind of like he was in his own world.  All of a sudden, the photos began to take on a whole new look:  very artistic, very specific, and full of things that would naturally catch a little boy’s eye – balls, bees and spitting fountains.

Tyler – age 7

Tyler was a bit more serious, taking his time, not saying much.  What was very interesting here was that of the 24 photos he took, all but 1 were of succulents.  This is a boy who knows exactly what he likes – no fancy flowers, no flashy foliage – symmetrical succulents ONLY.

Julia – age 12

Julia was the only child who ventured into the front yard…all the rest stayed in the back.  She seemed to like anything that looked like animals (donkey-tail succulents)  or WAS an animal (poor, caged canary) – you can tell she’s an animal-lover!  Julia also took lots of really bright flower combos – she obviously likes bright colors!

Amanda – age 16

Now you’re seeing photos taken at all KINDS of angles – very ‘avant-garde’! She seemed to notice the ‘details’ of the garden, and how by just tilting the camera (or your head) an item takes on a whole different perspective…

The conclusion?  If you’re creating a garden to appeal to your children – just give them a camera!  They’ll tell you EXACTLY what they like (without even meaning to).  Garden ‘bling’ seems to be their number one favorite thing (balls, statues, fountains), with succulents a close second.  This is such a fun project – perfect for the ‘jaded’ gardener, as it gives you a new perspective – something we all need at times!

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Thanks Rebecca!  I am going to hand over my camera this week to my 7 year old and see just how she sees her world.  I encourage those of you with kiddos old enough to operate a camera to do the same.  Come back next week with a photo or two to share with us that you little one has taken in the garden!

Here is this weeks link up...

kinderGARDENS week 7 Raindrops and Rabbits!

  

Here we are again for our kinderGARDENS update!  I am going to let you all see what my garden looks like right now...and has for the past 2 months...

We have had rain, wind, hail, and snow!  That does enough damage but on top of it all it has consistently been 10+ degrees below normal temperatures around here.  I am beyond annoyed, way beyond irritated...no I'm quickly on my way to being down right mad at all this wet, cold, depressing weather.

Now I know that it is the Pacific Northwest and this is what we must endure for all of our lovely green trees, and flowers, and yada, yada, yada...blah, blah, blah...

Enough already, we're drowning here! 

Besides my tomatoes are getting a bit grumpy...

Although my kale seem to be happy adorned in raindrops!

We got out yesterday long enough to put some straw down in the maze to keep the weeds at bay and be ready for when the monsoons quit and we can plant out seeds!

 

We are also in the middle of designing and building housing for the ducks, turkeys, and the new bunny Ollie.

 

All the baby birds are growing like crazy, they are starting to get their feathers...

Yeah, I'm talkin' about you little buddy!

We also received 3 more chickens from a neighbor who didn't have room for all of hers...

Welcome to the funny farm little guys.

All these critters will be wonderful for the garden catching bugs and slugs.  Of course their poo will be great too!

So there you have it...the animals, kids and kale are growing wonderfully.

The tomatoes not so much...

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We have a winner in last week's giveaway for the charming Sunflower House book congratulation Faith*Buss!  For all the details go here..

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Next week we will have a guest writer here on the kinderGARDENS post...stay tuned its gonna be great!

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So what have you all been up to?  Have you been playing in the dirt?

We have a winner and a loser!

We drew a name last night but I get distracted and forgot to post it....SORRY!

Faith of faith*buss won the drawing for 'sunflower house'!

 

Faith if you will contact me at [email protected] I'll get your book in the mail!

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Hope you all are having a super weekend...I'm just taking bread out of the oven getting ready to do our first plantings in the maze!

If this in anyway looks familiar...

I'm sorry.

I know exactly how your feel

*****

Have a nice weekend anyway...

kinderGARDENS week 5 update...Jump for Joy!

Good day fellow gardeners...grownups and kids alike!

Welcome to our new participants, we are now 36 strong...yeah!

(and if you are just hearing about our kinderGARDEN series and contest, click here to join...its not too late and we would love it if you joined us!)

Today is our day to visit all the wonderful gardens and projects that we have been working on.  I am pleased to say that the rain has stopped long enough that we have actually been able to start our maze project!

After choosing where our maze would go we had to remove and relocate the red and black currants as well as a couple of gooseberry bushes.

Next we laid out a hose in the approximate shape that Sweet Girl thought would be just right!

Note, ignore the shadow of the dork with the camera above her head!

Since this is an area of the garden that has never been cultivated I decided to get out the handy dandy rototiller...

I had considered just letting the floor of the maze be grass but was honest enough with myself to know that I just didn't want to have to mow it every week!

And for the record yes my legs are that loooong...ahem.

After getting the area rototilled I tried to figure out what I could put down to keep the weeds down in the maze.  Black plastic is to easily ripped, and too slippery...besides being plain ugly.  I considered just putting straw down but I knew the kids would just throw it around and then up would come the weeds...

I remembered we had an old felt (from the mill my hubby works at) out in the pasture...I drug it into the garden.  Baby Boy sprayed it off for me.

Of course since we used water to clean it that meant there were little puddles of water left...hmmm what do kids do in little puddles of water?

Oh yeah...its puddle jumpin' time!

You go girl!

I love how kids can find great fun in just the simplest of things!

They spent the longest time just jumping and laughing on the future floor of their maze!

Today I'm going to finish the tilling.  Then I'll attempt to cut a spiral pattern in the felt...that stuff is harrrrd to cut!  Next will be the fence and finally the planting.  We're hoping to have it all done by the end of the weekend...if the weather cooperates!

Oh yes...we also started planting out our tomatoes!  Well I planted while the little one 'supervised', lol!

So my fellow kinderGARDENERS...what have you been up to?

Have you taken the time to have a little fun in your gardens this week?

kinderGARDENS week 4 we have a Guest Writer!

It is week 4!  Instead of my usual update...which I'll admit would have been soooo boring considering it is still raining here...in fact instead of a maze for the kids I am considering building an ark...seriously!

Where was I? 

Oh yeah, instead of my update I am leaving you all in the hands of one much more knowledgeable than I on them matter of garden design.

But don't forget to link up at the end of the post with any garden updates you have throughout the week.

And if you're new to the contest it is not at all too late to join us...click here for details!

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I would like to introduce you all to Susan Morrison, she is the design genius behind the Blue Planet Garden Blog, Creative Exteriors Landscape Design, and Blue Planet Gardening.  She is based in beautiful sunny California out on our lovely left coast!

The first time I visited Susan's blog I was so impressed by her landscape designs and ideas but frankly it was her down to earth style and wit that kept me going back again and again!

I especially love her dedication to water-wise and native plantings that are beautiful yet environmental friendly.

So you've listened to my prattle long enough, I'm going to turn the mike over to Susan

*****

Where we lead, our children will follow

A few years ago, I designed a garden for a family that included two small girls. On the day the plants arrived, both were in a frenzy of excitement and proclaimed themselves my personal assistants. And they actually did help me carry plants around the garden…at least when they weren’t distracted by examining the flowers and delightedly rubbing their hands along the fragrant leaves of the salvia plants.

On a visit six months later, both girls were again full of excitement – this time because they wanted me to see their gardens. One showed me the little patch of earth where she was nurturing two petunias and a dandelion; the other had planted watermelon seeds and a Shasta daisy. They couldn’t have been prouder to show off their personal plots to me and I, in turn, was thrilled to think I had played a small role in encouraging two fledgling gardeners.

Before committing to a new client, renowned garden designer Topher Delaney has them fill out a questionnaire, part of which asks the client about where they lived when they were a child. Topher feels so strongly that a child’s early exposure to the outdoors influences their beliefs, preferences and values for the rest of their lives that she refuses to work with a client who declines to answer the question.

These stories are anecdotal, but evidence continues to mount that the experiences children have in the earliest years of their lives are the most influential. The time to bring our children out into the garden to dig, play and grow is right now! Whether it’s to plant vegetables, examine bugs or to just dig in the dirt for the sheer joy of it, the sooner kids are exposed to the natural world, the more likely a love of the outdoors will remain a part of their lives forever.

Unfortunately, that’s not what’s happening for many families. According to an American Scientific study, we’re spending significantly less time outdoors, and visits to national parks have declined by as much as 25% in the past 20 years. In the accompanying article, author David Bello explains that “conservationists believe that the electronic world has supplanted the natural world as the leading diversion.” Landscape designer and California native plants expert Patricia St. John believes that many parents are actually afraid of the outdoors and wary of bugs and dirt. Not surprisingly, they’re raising kids who feel the same way.

What exactly does this mean for gardeners? I think it means that it’s up to us to spread the word and create as many opportunities for children to get into the garden as we can. Anything we gardeners can do to encourage kids and to “let ‘em get dirty” has an impact not only on today – we are literally shaping the rest of our children’s lives.

So here’s to changing the world, one tiny set of hands at a time.

The photo is courtesy of Patricia St. John

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So here is our link for this week...make sure to visit each other sites to see all the great ideas and cute kiddos!

kinderGARDENS week 3 & 500th post Giveaway!

Good day my fellow gardeners...adults and kiddos alike! (if you a new this week to the series, click the kinderGARDENS button at the top to see what we are all talking about...it is not too late to join us...come on, I know you want to!)

We have some exciting stuff going on today! First look at the sidebar...we are now 30 strong!  Rock on!

I'm going to start off today with my garden update...of sorts.

Here is a glimpse of what I have seen for the last 7 days straight, I'm serious folks.

This is the edge of our driveway, only thing is you can't see the driveway because it looks like a lake!

We have spent the last week dashing in and out of the house between torrential downpours just long enough to do the necessary stuff like gathering eggs and feeding the critters.

There were a few rare opportunities that let me get at least the littlest kid outside and into (or at least passing through) the garden with me!

Yes that is my 3 year old trying to haul a 50# sack of chicken feed...and yes that is a camel in the background hoping said chicken feed is for him!  Then it started to rain.

We got just one path lined with newspaper and straw in the new tomato patch...then it started raining.

We gathered eggs...

And threw the chickens some corn...yep rained again!

But on the way back in to escape the drenching we checked on...

Our newest additions.  The bees were rather quiet due to the rain and cold but I could hear them buzzing away inside, with even a few brave souls venturing out into the weather.

So in conclusion...rain...chickens...rain...tomatoes...rain...bees...rain, rain...RAIN!

Can you tell I'm a little annoyed with all this weather?  Who ordered this anyway? 

God if you are listening...and I know you are, could you please, please send a nice day here real soon?  I have a maze to construct and frankly I'm going a little stir crazy...thank you.  Love, Kim

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Now for some great news...well I guess if it depends on how you look at it.

I suppose if you hate camels, and farmers, and chicks who take too many pictures then this is actually tragic news...

But for everyone else I would like to announce that this is actually my 500th published post!  I say published post because I have tons of unpublished posts that have been counted as posts, but since you have not seen them they don't really count.

Why unpublished posts? Well sometimes I write a post like say...one with the marinated mice... I then let them sit there until I decide if you guys would want to see something like that.  I usually debate this in my head for a while and then with my husband...who frankly thought you guys could not handle the mice.  Which to your credit you did...

Anyway as a celebration of my 500th post I'm giving away a copy of Gardening With Children!

I will randomly choose someone who comments on this post by tomorrow morning at 10 am Pacific Time as the recipient of this great book.

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Speaking of books, I promised to review 'Gardening With Children' for you today. So as promised...

This book was written my group of authors from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. It is the oldest continuously running public children's garden in the US...that rocks!

When you see the book your realize with the colorful illustrations and the down to earth writing style (no pun intended...really!) that this is not a book meant for adults to read and then implement.  No this book is definitely written for adults and kids to read together.  My 7 year old has very much enjoyed this as we have read through it over the past couple of weeks.  My just turned 3 year old (sob) liked the pictures of the bugs and worms!

If of course covers the basics of growing from seed, but it also covers more in depth concepts like companion planting, beneficial insects, photosynthesis, and decomposition.

It is brimming with activities for the kids with projects ranging from puppets, root view boxes, to building your own butterfly window box.

Here is the review on Amazon.com

Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a groundbreaking handbook that helps parents, teachers, and community gardeners introduce the pleasures of gardening to kids. In addition to learning the basics—including how to grow common plants from seed—young gardeners will be encouraged to discover nature’s cycles, become ecologically aware, and follow their inborn curiosity as they explore. It doesn’t matter whether kids have access to a large green yard or only to a windowsill planter: here are scores of fun projects that can awaken their sense of wonder about the natural world while nourishing cognitive functioning and self-confidence. Youngsters will love building a root-view garden from a milk container, making chlorophyll prints, constructing a hummingbird feeder, and more.

I thought this book was very well and concisely written...and pretty to boot!  I would definitely recommend it!

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Now for some more great news...we will have a guest next week, and every 1st Thursday for the rest of the contest.  The wonderful and talented Susan Morrison from the Blue Planet Garden Blog has a post for all of us next week!  I promise it will not involve annoying camels or even marinated mice...she is much nicer than that! 

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And lastly I would like to spotlight what I thought was the most unique undertaking that any of you and your kiddos came up with last week!  Erin over at Garden Now - Think Later...OK may I just pause and take a minute here to say that this is just about the best blog name I have ever heard in a while.  It describes my style perfectly although I think if I was to rename my blog it might be...

Garden Now - Laundry Later

or even

Garden Now - Kill the Camel Later

But I digress...

Erin's family has come up with an idea to do a green roof for their fort.  When I heard this I thought 'brilliant' and wondered where she had come up with such an interesting idea.  Here is what Erin wrote in her comments...

"It was really my 7 year old Loch that came up with the idea. He is my bookworm, the "weird" kid, lol... I am always having to go in his room at night because he is up late with the light on reading my books on off the grid living or Mother Earth News..."

May I first just say how cool it is that she has a kid that reads Mother Earth News...secondly "weird" kids rock!

And as a thank you for sharing her weird kid with all of us I am also giving Erin a copy of Gardening With Children... I hope he enjoys it!

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OK folks, week 3 is in the books!  Nothing left to do but link up and see what we are all up to.  I will leave this up until next week so feel free to link up anytime!

Make sure you follow the links and see what your fellow participants are doing!

kinderGARDENS Children's Gardening Contest Week 2 Link up!

 

Week 2 Sharing Plans

Did you notice the sidebar? 

We have 27 participants so far...whoohoo! (if you don't see your name or if I have your name wrong let me know and I'll add you or change it.)

And if you are new to all this here is the post with all the details

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I am also pleased as punch to announce our next judge...there is a mom of 4 who is a ton of fun, loves to garden, AND is a professional photographer! She is Ashley of Ashley Ann Photography and frankly she rocks!  She recently did a gardening post that made me smile from ear to ear...now that is getting your kids out in the garden...seriously go check out her new raised beds!  Don't forget to come back though...you could get lost over there in all the fun projects and cute kids!  Thanks Ashley

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Last week I wanted you all to put your thinking caps on and let us in on the plans you have for getting your kids involved in the garden.

As you remember Sweet Girl decided she wanted a maze.

After much thinking I decided I didn't want to purchase any materials for this, just seeds.  So here is what we have come up with.

I have a roll of 6' tall fencing and will secure it into the ground with metal fence posts.  It will be in a swirl pattern with an open space in the middle for playing/picnicking/sleeping...one can dream of children napping in the garden can't one?

Since she wanted edible walls I have added to the sunflowers and morning glory some scarlett runner beans and sugar snap peas.  It would also be easy to tuck broccoli or chard here and there at the base, even a strawberry plant or two.

This should be simple to put up and plant, I'm still thinking about exactly where to put it...I think next to the chicken yard might be fun...or in the middle of the melon patch.  Then again little ones might be too tempted to pick any unripened melons.  It would be a crime if I didn't get to have this again this year...

But I digress...

So next week we will have a place picked out and cleared the fence will be up and peas planted...well those are the plans anyway!

I also will have a book review of  by Monika Hanneman from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

So what have you come up with?  Please...do tell!

(Follow the instructions on the link button below.  Put in the url to your kinderGARDEN post not your main blog or we won't see your specific post.  Make sure to add your name.  Last step will be to pick a picture to share here as a thumbnail.  I did the first one today to see if it works and let you know what it will look like)