gardens for kids Archives - The Micro Gardener

Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 2

After moving house sixteen times, I’ve learned to adapt my gardens to all sorts of spaces – large and small. This is a handy list of plants I’ve found to grow well in containers plus the depth of soil they need.

Some of my edible container gardens

If you have difficult soil like sand, clay or rocks; limited space or funds, then I suggest you try growing at least some of your food in containers. Pots offer loads of benefits.

“Growing your own veggies is the first step to self-sufficiency.” – Clive Blazey, The Diggers Club

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Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 1

Do you want to make a quick mini garden? You can grow healthy ‘fast food’ like salad veggies and herbs in a simple box. Best of all, you can make it in about 15 minutes. The bonus is you’ll be eating the rewards in just a few weeks for only a minimal investment of time AND money. Let’s get started!

A wide variety of seasonal herbs, veggies and flowers can be grown in micro gardens and can reap you a rich bounty of food for minimum effort.

This is a system I’ve used for years with great success and it’s so easy. Even if you’re a beginner gardener or on a budget and need a thrifty solution, this is it! An easy container garden with just a few ingredients to get started. (more…)

DIY Repurposed Garden Projects

10 Creative Space and Resource Saving Garden Ideas

I’m always looking for inspiring, low-cost and resourceful ideas for the garden – here are some of my favourite projects for you to try.

1. Peg Plant Marker – This is an easy improvised solution using everyday materials. Kids can paint the pegs and make them colourful and if you save seeds from your edible gardens like I do, this makes plant identification a snack!

Dill peg plant marker. Photo: Stacey Shitani

Always scratching around to find a plant marker? MYO in seconds with a bamboo skewer, wooden peg and a permanent marker! How easy is this?

2. Tiered Terracotta Planter – I love this project from Amy at Positively Splendid because it’s a simple design idea to dress up your garden entrance. (more…)

Anne Gibson2022-11-25T11:54:38+10:00Categories: Gardens & Projects for Kids, How To DIY Projects & Recipes, Repurposed Planters, Vertical Gardens|Tags: Frugal gardening, gardens for kids, Plant markers, Pots & containers, repurposed planters, Vertical gardens|9 Comments

Grow Your Own Herb Tea Garden

Want to Grow a Herb Tea Garden?

With so many culinary and medicinal health benefits, a herb tea garden is a must for every gardener. Even if you just have a balcony or tiny space, herbs have so many uses.

Grow your own herb tea garden – easy herbs to grow, brew and use for health

Easy Herb Teas to Grow and Brew

If you’re not already growing your own herb garden, hopefully you’ll be inspired to start! There are a wide range of delicious and aromatic herbs you can grow for hot or iced herb teas and medicinal use.

Pick sprigs of fresh mint for herb tea

Getting Started with Herb Teas

Chamomile (German) Tea

A mild flavoured relaxing tea that I’ve used hundreds of times over the years. Helps to calm and soothe the spirit, settle stomach aches and indigestion and is a great tea for helping you relax, destress and get to sleep. It goes well with a little honey and a slice of lemon. You can also use the tea as a hot foot bath for tired or sore feet! (more…)

Anne Gibson2021-03-29T14:37:45+10:00Categories: Garden Themes, Gardens & Projects for Kids, Grow Your Own Food, Herb Gardens, How to Grow, Vegetables & Herbs|Tags: garden themes, gardens for kids, grow your own food, herb tea, Herbs, vegetable & herb gardens|6 Comments

‘Jack & the Bean Stalk’ Theme Garden

Love beans? If you want to encourage children to start growing ‘incredible edibles,’ then this might be just the project to get them excited! I’m sure you’ll also enjoy growing beans this way for yourself.

With a little creative thinking, themed gardens help children learn while they are having fun. Here’s a cool garden project for the ‘kid’ in all of us – complete with Beans, Beanstalk and even a Giant! Plus lots of quick tips for growing beans.

A child's vegie garden can start in any space they can call their own - it might be a corner of your garden, a container or even a self-seal bag with moist cotton wool to start seeds on! | The Micro Gardener

Encourage children to grow a micro garden in a pot or container to get started. They don’t need much space – beans are so easy to grow. When young, tender and homegrown organically, try stopping children from snacking on beans straight from the garden!

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” – Albert Einstein

How to Create Your ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk & Giant’ Garden

There are 3 elements to this garden theme – the bean seeds; the vertical beanstalk structure they need to climb up on like Jack did, and the ‘Giant.’ (more…)

Anne Gibson2018-04-19T14:43:43+10:00Categories: Garden Themes, Gardens & Projects for Kids, How to Grow|Tags: Beans, garden themes, gardens for kids, grow your own food, Growing food, small garden design ideas, Tepee|4 Comments

Gardens for Kids – Design Ideas & Themes

“Gardening has a magical quality when you are a child.”- Barbara Damrosch

Inspirational Themed Gardens

A garden is Nature’s Classroom. If you have children, grandchildren, visitors or are homeschooling, this article will give you some ideas and inspiration for designing your space with little ones in mind.

You can include a wide range of learning experiences. There are loads of creative ways to encourage kids to start small or think BIG!

Growing plants and being in contact with nature is a therapy in itself. Now more than ever, we need to spend time connecting with the outdoors and plants for our mental and physical wellbeing. Not only adults, but especially children. They often don’t express the stress and anxiety they feel, so a garden can be a quiet space to calm and centre them emotionally.

“Many studies both in Australia and overseas in school gardens have found students who grow organic fresh produce not only increase their consumption of vegetables at home but also improve their ability to identify new fruits, herbs and vegetables and develop knowledge of how to grow them.”

What a great gift we can give to children! I hope you enjoy some of the ideas I’ve put together from my experiences.

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Anne Gibson2021-07-18T12:24:48+10:00Categories: Clever Design Ideas, Garden Themes, Gardens & Projects for Kids|Tags: garden themes, gardens for kids, grow your own food, small garden design ideas, vegetable & herb gardens|12 Comments

Gardens for Kids

Gardens help children connect with nature, their environment and most importantly, the source of their food. Gardens are places for kids to learn new skills, build their confidence, have fun, learn to take care of plants and build respect for their environment as well as improve their health.

“In an age of instant gratification, a garden is one of the few places children can learn patience and delayed gratification by watching and waiting for rewards.” – Anne Gibson

One of my passions is showing children how to grow their own food and have fun gardening.

Having fun as the Veggie Doctor with Prep year students planning out their new sensory garden

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Anne Gibson2018-04-19T19:05:50+10:00Categories: Gardens & Projects for Kids|Tags: gardens for kids, Pots & containers, sprouts|11 Comments

Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 2

Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 1

DIY Repurposed Garden Projects

10 Creative Space and Resource Saving Garden Ideas

Grow Your Own Herb Tea Garden

Want to Grow a Herb Tea Garden?

Easy Herb Teas to Grow and Brew

Getting Started with Herb Teas

Chamomile (German) Tea

‘Jack & the Bean Stalk’ Theme Garden

How to Create Your ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk & Giant’ Garden

Gardens for Kids – Design Ideas & Themes

Inspirational Themed Gardens

Gardens for Kids

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