Kids Activity October: Keep cool with wonderful water gardens

Spring has sprung and the summer sunshine is around the corner. October is the perfect time to have some fun in the sun - it’s time to get up and get gardening with your kiddies.

Cool off under the sunny skies with a water oasis that adds some tropical warmth to your garden. This water garden is the perfect way to refresh your patio or add a touch of leisure to your outdoor area.

What you will need:

• A watertight basin or bucket, between 30 to 40cm deep with a diameter of between 60 to 90cm
• Topsoil, which contains clay (or simply, aquatic soil)
• 1 x Aquatic crate with lattice, fitting to the size of the plant you purchase
• 1 x Terracotta pot
• Aquatic fertiliser
• Silica sand
• Bricks and/or pieces of bricks
• Aquatic plants, such as Water Lily, Acorus gramineus, floating aquatic plants and a variety of others. Visit your local GCA garden centre for advice on the best plants to use
• Plastic frog, duck and/or pink Water Lily
• Water to fill the container

How to create the perfectly, refreshing water garden:

• Place your container on a table, and help your kiddies to place the bricks in the position in which you are going to grow the water plants.
• Show your kids how to fill the terracotta pot with aquatic soil, to about 3cm from the rim.
• After adding a capful of fertiliser to the soil, plant the Acorus graminea. This is bright green grass that will grow particularly well in wet soils!
• Fill the remaining area in the pot with silica sand, and place the pot on the large brick to create extra height for your water garden.