With everything going on in the world right now I was really looking for a project that the entire family could participate in . Remember, our kids range from 13 to 1. So, finding something everyone can enjoy can be challenging to say the least.
I’m not sure if I chose this as one of our homeschooling projects because I’m a good mom who wants to teach her son real life lessons, or if I’m lazy and wanted someone else to plan my garden. Either way, it’s really working out in my favor.
Gardening for me, has been a lot of trial and error. My first attempt went terribly wrong. Side note, did you know that strawberries got their name because they covered them in straw during the summer months? Fun fact that I was not aware of until I basically burnt our crop.
The first garden we built, my husband made himself. He went to Home Depot and bought the 2×4’s and went to work. This time he ordered this raised garden bed and had it delivered to the house. It was much less time consuming and something the boys were able to help him with. Win win in my book.
Next, broke down some of our Amazon boxes and placed them on the bottom of the garden bed. I know there are bed liners out there, we choose to use things that are biodegradable. We’ve used newspapers, paper bags from the grocery store, and now cardboard boxes. Our goal is for the plants to be able to root into the ground eventually, which they can’t do if there’s a plastic liner underneath them.
We have a mixture of both seeds we have started on our own, as well as more established plants that we bought from Home Depot. It’s been a fun experiment to have both. I am a super impatient person so I need instant gratification. Our tomato plant has done just that for me. Within a couple of weeks, they have started producing. On the flip side, it’s been really cool to start from seeds and be able to watch them grow. It’s literally my most favorite thing to do right now. I have turned into the crazy plant lady that has conversations with her seedlings. What a time to be my neighbor…
My grandmother has always taught us that if you are going to replant something, always put water at the bottom. Whether it’s in a garden or pot. So this is my absolute best piece of advice. You can never over water a new plant! So, when you dig the hole, fill it with water then place the plant on top of it.
What you need:
- Raised garden bed
- Soil (we use organic)
- Jiffy peat strips
- Seeds
- Seed starting mix
- Neem Oil
- Insecticidal soap
- Cardboard box
- Rocks
- Acrylic paint
The little boys have had a blast decorating the garden. We ordered rocks and acrylic paint off of Amazon and let them paint them. This has made it so that everyone could be involved with the creation of our garden! They help water, and dig. We check our babies every single morning.
If you’re looking for a fun family project, that also does a little good for the earth, I couldn’t recommend making a garden with your kids enough! Check out our LikeToKnow.It where I have linked everything we have used.