Jun 16, 2012 | Blog, Flowers, Summer
Every parent knows that your hobbies take a back seat to taking care of children, but it’s easy to share your love of gardening with kids! Children are naturally curious, and curious about nature, so with a little bit of planning, you can pass your green thumb onto the next generation.
Although it seems obvious, it’s worth remembering that the younger the child, the shorter the attention span and the less “work” they can do in the garden. For toddlers, the easiest thing to do is to give them one task to take charge of. For example, your child’s job might be picking up as many sticks from your garden as she can, while you take care of the weeding. Have her put them into a big pile to give her a sense of accomplishment. Be patient, and be aware that whatever job you give a toddler, you will probably have to finish.
Older children can help with your garden, but a more rewarding experience for both of you may be for your child to develop his or her own garden plot. Have him stake a claim in a small part of your garden or help him develop a new bed in a different area. Keep the plot manageable for the child’s age and ability, and once again, remember that you will likely have to do a lot of work to keep the garden going. Take care not to turn something you love into a chore for your child.
It’s fun to involve your child in the entire development and execution of the garden. Start when the snow is still flying by helping to draw out the plot and discuss what your child would like to plant in it. Remember, this is likely to change when you get to the nursery, so be flexible, while being sure to offer guidance in order to avoid planting a garden that won’t grow — although even this can be a great learning experience. Have your child come along to the nursery to pick out their plants, or sprout plants from seeds. Every one of us remembers the grade-school experiment in which we grew a bean plant in a paper cup, and that miracle is easily shared with your child.
Kids love to plant things they can easily identify, so this generally means they will choose things like pumpkins, tomatoes, tulips, and sunflowers. Another fun idea, especially for an older child, might be to plant a “theme” garden. For example, a salsa garden could contain tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro. Also, while kids may not like to eat them, many culinary herbs grow quickly and are interesting for them to smell and taste.
Remember that kids love to have their own things, so get your child appropriately-sized garden tools of their very own. It’s always amazing what his or her very own trowel or fancy hose nozzle will pay back in a child’s dedication to the job at hand.
If you’ve got the space and the inclination, encourage your child to spend more time in the garden by building a little garden shed, tent, or other hiding place.
Remember, the best thing to do is keep this fun. Encourage your child no matter what happens, and let them learn by doing. If you do, the lessons and the memories will last, whether their flowers bloom or not.
Apr 21, 2012 | Blog, Flowers, Spring, Summer
Flowers don’t have to be the only colorful thing in your garden this summer. It’s fairly easy to make your garden a haven for birds.
The easiest way to get started is to do a little research on what birds are native to your area. It’s possible to attract migratory birds, but since they don’t stay for a long time, the best bang for your buck is to decide what local species you want to attract with your garden.
After you’ve figured out what birds are native to your region, it’s fairly easy to make your garden bird-friendly for those specific species. There are many resources that list what various birds prefer to eat and how they prefer to nest, which are the two main considerations for attracting them to your garden.
Some birds prefer to nest in shrubbery, while others prefer taller trees, and others will happily live in a nesting box. Some of the tree-dwellers prefer deciduous trees, and others pine trees. To attract a yellow warbler, for example, the ideal garden would have a small willow tree near native berry-producing shrubbery. To attract a house wren, provide low-lying shrubbery or brush piles, or a nesting box.
Obviously, the larger your property and gardens, the more birds you can attract, but even a small garden can be made bird friendly. The house wren example needs only a nesting box in a back corner and some small shrubbery to be attractive.
Some considerations for all species of birds:
- Include flowering & fruiting plants in your garden
- Provide shallow basins of water for drinking & bathing
- Eliminate the use of pesticides & poisons, which can be harmful to the birds and kill off the insects they like to eat
- Mark nearby windows with cues to prevent collisions
- Keep cats & other pets away from the garden so they don’t scare off the birds
The great thing about attracting birds to your garden is that it’s a two-way street. They can often help keep your garden free of insect pests. The house wren in the example above will eat almost any insect. The yellow warbler is known for its appetite for moths, mosquitoes, and beetles.
One of the more obvious questions concerns putting a bird feeder in your garden. While this will attract lots of birds, it also will attract rodents who will not be shy about digging around your garden for fallen seeds. It will also mean that you need to be more vigilant about weeding around the feeder.
With just a little bit of research and some small changes to your garden you can add a whole new dimension to your garden!
Apr 10, 2012 | Blog
Organic matter is any compound that contains carbon, generally obtained from living substances, which may include either animal or plant material. In the instance of soil or mulch, organic matter may be composted material attained from grass clippings, animal waste (which is nitrogen rich), tree trimmings (which may include bark , leaf material or ground hardwood). Each product will differ in the amount and type of organic matter that it contains.
Northeast Ohio’s native soils typically contain heavy amounts of clay. Through the use of organic matter you can physically improve your soil’s quality. By incorporating organic matter you’ll increase moisture retention and nutrient absorption, which is fundamental in ensuring healthy plant growth.
Every parent knows that your hobbies take a back seat to taking care of children, but it’s easy to share your love of gardening with kids! Children are naturally curious, and curious about nature, so with a little bit of planning, you can pass your green thumb onto the next generation.
