Garden in a Bucket / Mobile Garden. Get your kids to create their own personal, private garden that they can carry with them, take care of and enjoy!

What you need:

• A colorful plastic bucket or container, at least 20cm deep, preferably with a handle
• Trowel or spade
• Lightweight potting mix
• Bright, low-growing bedding plants or dwarf vegetable seedlings
• Decorating items – Stickers, foam decorations, markers etc
• Glue
• Sharp tool for making drainage holes (Adults only)

Step 1:

Have the kids pick out a colourful bucket or container. Then head over to a plant nursery and let them choose a few small bedding annuals or small veggie seedlings.

Step 2:

Let the kids decorate their bucket/container with markers, stickers and glued on trinkets and glitter.

Step 3:

Create drainage holes at the bottom of the bucket. An adult can poke a few holes with a sharp tool or an electric drill. Six to eight holes should be fine.

Step 4:

Have the kids fill their buckets about half way with the potting mix. Soilless mixes tend to be the lightest and will be easier for a child to carry in the bucket.

Step 5:

Help the kids carefully remove the plants from their containers and plant them inside their garden buckets. You can add more soil, if necessary. Don't worry about perfection. Once the plants start to grow, they'll straighten themselves out.

Step 6:

Water the Garden in a Bucket and that’s it! You can put the garden in a place of honour or take a drive to Grandma’s to show it off.

Maintain the Garden in a Bucket by keeping it watered, probably daily. Have your child check to see if it needs water by letting them poke their finger gently into the soil. If it feels dry about an inch below the surface, it’s time to water. Of course, if the plants start to wilt, that’s a signal to water too.

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