By Kathy Van Mullekom
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
Summers were spent with my grandmother in a rural area near Lynchburg, Virginia.
Her grape arbor, chicken coop and vegetable garden were my playground. Decades later, I still fondly remember those gardening summers.
Now, I hope to pass on that same love of gardening to my two grandkids in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Granddaughter Mattie Wells, age 4, and I recently created a fairy garden, a project her imagination greatly enjoyed. A fairy garden can be made in a child-friendly container, using moss from the woods, miniatures from a garden center or dollar store and fuss-free plants like sedums.
This summer, take the time and opportunity to garden with your children or grandchildren. You will nurture a lifelong passion and lifetime memories.
Here are some gardening-related projects to do with your children or grandchildren during summer vacation.
Butterfly bell
Materials
1 six-inch terra cotta pot
1 four-inch pot parsley
String for hanging parsley
Thin rope for hanging bell.
Acrylic paints in a variety of colors
Small brushes in assorted sizes
Directions
Paint and decorate the pot that will be used for the top of the butterfly bell.
While the pot dries, chat about the lifecycle of butterflies and what host and nectar plants they need in your yard. Host plants for caterpillars that turn into butterflies include butterfly weed, milkweed, dill, parsley, violets, hibiscus and hollyhock. Nectar plants for the sugar liquid produced in flowers include bee balm, black-eyed Susan, butterfly bush, coneflower, coreopsis, cosmos, gaillardia, Joe-pye weed, lantana and mums.
Use string to create a three-sided hanger for the pot of parsley and attach it to the underside bottom of the bell.
Use thin rope to create a hanger, knotting it and threading it through the pot’s bottom hole.
Hang your butterfly bell in the garden where it will offer a place for a caterpillar to crawl and weave a cocoon that will soon produce a beautiful butterfly.
— Courtesy McDonald Garden Center in Hampton, Va.; www.mcdonaldgardencenter.com
Pizza garden
Materials
Several tomato (small cherry tomatoes good for kids) and green bell pepper plants
1 plant each parsley, basil, oregano and onions
10-12 yellow marigolds
Directions
Prepare a circle six feet in diameter.
Divide the circle into wedges shaped like pizza slices.
Put mulched paths between slices so children can walk into the garden.
Plant tomatoes, peppers and herbs in the “slices.”
Plant yellow marigolds around the garden’s outer edge — they represent cheese on a pizza and also attract pollinating bees to the vegetable and herb plants.
When harvest time arrives, make a pizza crust and use veggies from the garden as toppings.
— Courtesy Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, Va.; www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org.
Growing Mr. McGregor’s garden
The classic children’s book, “A Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter introduces young children to gardening. Toddlers can pretend to be Peter Rabbit snatching fresh veggies from the garden or take on the role of Mr. McGregor, protecting the garden from pesky critters!
In your garden:
After reading about Peter’s adventures in Mr. McGregor’s garden, plant your own plot of radishes in a sunny spot, which will germinate within five days. The instant gratification is rewarding for young gardeners and the tender young leaves can be pinched off and tasted as soon as they sprout! Wait patiently for the red roots to develop, which are a crispy and zesty addition to a fresh green salad. Purchase child-safe knives to allow your preschooler a full garden to table experience — the more involved they are in the process, the more likely they are to eat them!
After eating too many veggies, Peter searched for parsley in the garden to calm his upset stomach. Plant one patch of parsley for you and make sure to plant a second patch for swallowtail butterflies, which are important native pollinators. Young children will have fun observing the caterpillars as they munch through the leaves, usually leaving only the stem behind!
Mr. McGregor welcomed beneficial bugs in his garden, but made a scarecrow from Peter’s lost clothes to keep those pesky rabbits out! Protect your own vegetable patch by building a scarecrow from outgrown clothes.
— Project courtesy Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va; www.lewisginter.org
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