Veggie and Herb Garden
It’s time to get the kids excited about eating some greens and is there a better way than to get them to choose their own, plant their own, grow their own and harvest their own? We think not … and the kids agree!
What you’ll need:
- A patch of ground
- Someone willing to prepare the ground
- Herb and veggie seedlings, chosen by your kids
- Compost
- Fertiliser
- Mulch
- Small spade
- Watering can
Step 1
Find a nice patch of ground to use that’s quite level already so you don’t need to spend lots of back breaking hours getting it ready for the kids.
Step 2
Dig the soil over so it’s nice and loose. Put your back into it and you won’t need to exercise again for a whole week! Break up the big clumps of dirt and remove all the grass and big stones you find and then rake it over into a smooth flat bed.
Step 3
Make sure the kids are garden ready! Start them off by filling their buckets with compost and let them go dig it into the freshly prepared ground. They can use their spades or their hands depending on how prissy they are.
We always prefer to get kids as dirty as possible. They should take off their shoes and feel the dirt between their toes and in their hands!
Step 4
Time to add some fertiliser. This is a very important but delicate step and it is imperative to read the instructions on the pack to make sure you don’t put in too much or you could risk burning your seedlings! Make sure they mix it in evenly.
Step 5
Seedling time! Hopefully you took the kids to a garden centre before starting and let them choose their own herbs and veggies. It’s important for them to be excited about what they are about to plant so that they are equally as excited to look after them, watch them grow and eventually, eat them!
Kids are often of the opinion that all the spaces should be filled in, so help them understand that their plants need room to grow big and strong!
Step 6
After all this activity, I bet the kids will be very thirsty! It’s the perfect time to illustrate how important watering is. Their seedlings must also be thirsty so let the kids give them a good solid water with their watering cans.
Remind them to give their seedlings a good soaking every day, depending on the weather, until they are well established. Then they can pop a sprinkler on them every third day for about 30 minutes.
Step 7
Last, but not least, add some mulch around your seedlings. This will help keep the soil moist for longer and keep the roots of your seedlings cool in the summer heat.
