Get kids hooked on gardening!

This week we have some great ideas to get kids hooked on gardening! Let us know what you think :) Plant a butterfly garden: Invite butterflies to your garden by planting nectar producing plants. With the right plants in your garden, a butterfly garden provides opportunities to educate your children about the life cycle of a butterfly.

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So what do you need? Preferably a sunny spot, protected from wind. Some leafy plants like buddleia, petunias, phlox, asters, marigold, verbena etc. that attract egg-laying butterflies and would be food for the larvae. Also keep in mind that butterflies don’t drink from open water, so if you can provide them with a puddle by filling a saucer, birdbath or container with water so that they can drink safely.

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You can also make a butterfly feeder by drilling holes in the top of a small jar. Fill your jar with 90% water and 10% sugar and hang it in your butterfly garden. You can even let your kids decorate the jar to look like a flower with fabric petals or flowers. Change your mixture regularly.

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Other ideas to develop a love for gardening:

• Start off with big seeds like beans or peas, nasturtiums or marigolds that are easy to handle.
• Let your kids paint terracotta pots in which they are going to plant with their flowers or veggies.
• Buy them their own watering can, garden tools, gloves and even a small sized wheelbarrow to get them into the spirit of gardening!
• Take a bigger sized old wheelbarrow, paint it a bright colour and let them plant it up with flowers or veggies of their choice.

Have lots of fun with your kids until next time! Monica Schmidt, Horticulturalist at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion