1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

WEEKEND GARDENING | Kids in the garden
There is so much you can incorporate into even the smallest of backyards —
even courtyards and balconies — that will capture the imagination of
a child and prick their curiosity, all the while nurturing a love of the
environment and everything in it.
The edible garden, along with the natural
environment, is entwined with play — at
the end of the day, there are no lines or
boundaries between them. The edges are
blurred and in the eyes of children it’s all fun!
Creating a successful mix of garden and
nature will ensure that your children will grow
up and look back on their childhoods with
fond memories of the gardens and outdoor
areas they played in.
Kids’ growing
project: eggheads
Here’s an easy growing project that
even kids with no garden can try: cress
eggheads. Grow your cute eggheads some
hair, which you can then cut and sprinkle
on your salads or sandwiches.
Materials
Empty, rinsed eggshells (just cut off
the very top to allow growing space)
Craft eyes (optional)
Cotton wool
Watercress seeds (kale, alfalfa, radish
or mustard seeds can also be used)
Textas or paint
Egg carton or egg cups to stand
eggheads in
Method
1. Draw faces on your eggshells and glue
on googly eyes if using.
2. Put cotton wool inside empty
eggshells and dampen with water.
3. Sprinkle seeds over cotton wool.
4. Place eggheads in a sunny spot, like
a windowsill and give more water as
needed — don’t let them dry out but
not too wet, either.
5. In a few days they’ll be sprouting hair.
Creating childfriendly
habitat
We’ve talked about the precious gift of
observing nature and the lifelong skill of
learning to grow edible plants, but we all
know what children love to do best, and that
is PLAY. And, as we also know, play is an
integral part of learning.
Last issue we looked at topics such
as growing edible food plants from seed
and the benefits that come with children
understanding where their food comes from.
When starting a new garden or
redesigning an existing one, creating
areas for children to express themselves
through play is vital to their creativity and
development, both physically and socially,
whatever their cultural background or age.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on
the latest play equipment and gadgets
for children to enable them to have fun.
No matter what their circumstances and
environment, they will play.
So, when designing a garden with children
in mind, here are a few ideas to incorporate
into an existing garden or to keep in mind
when starting a brand-new one. Even if there
is no garden at all, some of these creative
ideas can still be put into action.
Nature’s playground
Trees, fruiting plants, the edible patch,
recycling, nature watch locations, winding
pathways, stepping stones, ponds, flower
gardens, scented plants and edibles ... these
are just the tip of the iceberg.
There is so much you can incorporate into
even the smallest of backyards — including
courtyards and balconies — that will capture
the imagination of a child and prick their
curiosity, all the while nurturing a love of the
environment and everything in it.
Water: Ponds, pot ponds and birdbaths. Of
course, safety comes first when it comes to
bodies of water and small children, so be
sure to follow any local council regulations
concerning pools, dams and large ponds.
When our children were little we covered
our pot ponds with chicken wire so there
was no chance of small people falling in.
The benefit of a water feature, whether a
small birdbath or large pond, is it will attract
a huge range of insects, birds, amphibians
and reptiles.
Trees: For shade, for climbing, for playing
and dreaming under, as habitat for birds,
possums, bugs and more. Why not choose
a fruiting tree and then you have an annual
harvest, too? Trees are the most amazing
organisms and we need many more of them.
Choose trees with interesting bark, some
that lose their leaves in winter, bear fruit,
have scented flowers or foliage or even
have an interesting name.
Bugs: Have a bug catcher on hand
so there can be closer inspection and
identification of backyard critters. There
are many great books and websites for
insect identification. Attracting insects to
the garden is as easy as planting a few
seeds of the right plant species to attract
beneficial insects and pollinators.
Bees: Bees should be a part of every
backyard and, if you’re concerned about
stings, why not go for a native bee box?
We have both native and honeybees in
our garden. The plight of the bee cannot
be overstated. With populations in decline
across the globe, it was concerning to read
just the other day that it’s believed there
are still around 750 bee species yet to be
discovered, classified and documented.
Worms: Most children love insects and
creepy-crawlies; some don’t. Nonetheless,
learning about recycling waste through
keeping a worm farm can be great fun and
educational. Keep your lidded worm-food
bucket at the ready for all those scraps. Not
only do the worms dispose of kitchen waste
Harvesting the vegetables
they have grown is always
a rewarding task
48 | Good Organic Gardening