Who says back to school can’t begin with a little fun? This DIY experiment is science on rainbow steroids and will intrigue both boys and girls. Learn about plant anatomy, enjoy a little magic, and become the inventor of a whole new flower species. Transform white blooms into any colour you like, here’s how:

Plant picks

Any white flowers should work well for this experiment. Here are some top picks that are currently in bloom, either in the garden or at your local GCA Garden Centre.

• White roses
• Lisianthus
• Carnations
• Gerberas
• Hydrangeas

You will need:

• A few white flowers (store-bought or hand-picked).
• 4 Different shades of food colouring (or as many as you like).
• 4 Medium-sized drinking glasses or jars (avoid plastic cups).
• A pair of sharp scissors

Get colouring:

1. Fill half of each glass with water.
2. Pour half the bottle of your chosen food colouring, one at a time, into each glass of water. You want to achieve a rather concentrated colour so that your flower will have a vibrant hue.
3. Cut any leaves off your flowers and trim the stems to fit nicely inside your glass. You want some stem sticking out with your flower comfortably resting against the glass.
4. Pop your clean-stemmed flowers inside the different glasses.
5. After two hours or so, you will begin seeing slight colours appearing on the edges of the flower petals. When the kids wake up, the flowers should be completely coloured in and looking lovely!
6. As a fun little extra, kids could also name their new flower species and make little tags for their inventions. Help kids think of names by combining the flower’s botanical name with perhaps their own, other family members, or their pet’s names.
7. While the kids wait, here’s some neat to know science stuff about how your flowers have soaked up the colour.