‘Mommm I am bored’ is not the sort of cry that gladdens a mother’s heart. Never fear, the garden is near!
Whether its large or small, the garden offer all sorts of fun activities that gets the kids outdoors and connects them to nature.
Although you don’t need to tell the kids this, the garden is a wonderful outdoor classroom. They get to learn about soil by playing in the mud, watching seeds grow, finding out about good and bad bugs, and much more.
The internet is a wonderful resource for parents looking for garden related activities for kids of all ages. The magic, however, starts with garden seeds, says Marlaen Straathof of Kirchhoffs.
There is nothing quite as thrilling as seeing seemingly dead little seeds pushing new green shoots out of the soil.
Watch them grow.
Sprouting seeds in a see-through plastic cup is an amazing introduction to the miracle of new growth.
All that’s needed are clear plastic cups, some scrapbook paper or very light card, paper towel, a packet of garden bean seed, and water.
Start by cutting rectangles of light card or scrapbook paper and fit the strips into the inside of the plastic cup to make an outer lining.
Scrunch up pieces of paper towel into balls and put it into the inside of the cup until the cup is full.
Place three or four beans in the cup, between the side of the cup and the lining of scrapbook paper.
Gently wet the paper towel in the centre until it is saturated. Place the cup on a windowsill and keep the paper towel consistently moist. If the seeds dry out they will not sprout. Don’t put the cup outside as it will dry out too quickly.
What to expect: over the next week the seeds will wrinkle as they absorb the water, then the roots emerge and after that the stem and leaves. Generally, seeds sprouted this way don’t transplant well into the garden. Rather let them plant out a new crop of beans into the soil.
Grow crunchy snacks.
Sprouting microgreens is another way to intrigue the kids. Microgreens sprout quickly and are super crunchy and delicious, a sneaky way to get veggies into the kids.
There are colourful mixes from RAW seed or you can sprout your own mix of lettuce, radish, garden peas and garden cress.
Fill a seed tray or use an ice cream tub (with holes in the bottom) with seedling mix, and water lightly to dampen it. Sprinkle the seeds over the surface and cover lightly with more seedling mix. Firm down the soil gently using flat hands.
Spritz with water. Putting the container in a plastic bag will retain moisture and speed up the germination. Check every day to make sure the seedling mix hasn’t dried out.
When the greens are about 5cm tall, cut off the tops with sharp scissors and sprinkle over salads, vegetables, egg dishes, fish and chicken as well as pizzas and pastas.
Seed bombs
Just the name should appeal! They are an easy way to grow a mix of flowers or even salad veggies and herbs.
Mix three handfuls of compost with 1 handful of flour and mix in a little water until it becomes sticky enough to roll into a ball. Roll the sticky ball in a mix of seeds so that they stick to it.
Put the bomb aside to dry and once it is dry, throw it into a garden bed so that it explodes and scatters the seed. Water the area each day while the seeds are germinating.
Easy to grow summer flowers like alyssum, cosmos, marigolds and zinnias are ideal, as well as salad greens like radishes, rocket, lettuce and Swiss chard.
Seeds for the birds
If there are left over flower or veggie seeds, combine them with other ingredients like crushed peanuts and small pieces of dried fruit in a mix of suet, lard or coconut oil, to make seed balls for the birds.
The fat can be at room temperature, soft enough to mix with the other ingredients and squeeze into a ball or blocks. Let the mix set in the refrigerator before adding to the bird feeders.
For more information visit : www.kirchhoffs.co.za or www.rawliving.co.za
Written by Alice Spenser-Higgs