It's school holidays again, and again we are faced with the same dilemma ... how to keep the kids amused.
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Well the weather has been exquisite so why not entice the kids into the garden and have some fun planning and creating a garden project.
They may not be too keen at first but once they get out there they will have fun and it is educational too. Here are some ideas to get you started. I am sure they are jobs you were thinking of doing yourself anyway.
Why not get the kids to create their very own succulent garden. Succulents are virtually zero maintenance, requiring very little water and grow easily from a cutting.
They could create a lovely feature pot using several different succulents or give them a part of the garden to create their own succulent landscape.
Get the kids to plant a new herb garden or just freshen up the old one. You could plant them in pots or just plant them out in the garden.
Keep in mind that most herbs would rather about six hours of sunlight a day and herbs such as common mint and lemon grass are best grown in pots as they can take over if planted in the garden.
Plant continental or curly parsley, thyme, oregano, chives and rosemary ... all the ones you are likely to use lots of throughout the cooler months.
Get the kids to help revitalise the vegie patch. It is a great time of the year to get the vegie garden functioning again. It is time for cool season vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peas and onions.
Also spinach, beetroot, lettuce, strawberries and carrots are available as seedlings.
Before you start get the kids to dig in some fresh compost mix into the planting area and scatter a good fistful of blood and bone per square metre of soil. Then start planting seeds or seedlings or a mixture of both.
Set up a compost bin or a worm farm. Composting is a great way to recycle your kitchen and garden waste, and then improve the quality of your soil. It is also a great lesson for kids to learn about out recycling and converting waste into compost.
You could create your own home-made compost bin by using a few iron posts and some corrugated iron or purchase a purpose made bin from your garden centre or hardware store.
Worm Cafes are also available to buy and are easy to set up and maintain and fun for kids. Create a potted colour masterpiece. Why not resurrect some old pots that have been lying around and get the kids to plant them out with fabulous autumn colour.
Annuals available as seedlings or instant potted colour for autumn planting provide vibrant colour from mid-autumn right through to spring. Wow! That's six months they should last.
How about colour coding flowering pansies, violas, snapdragons and polyanthus and creating a colourful display.
The kids will be able to see the results of their labour instantly and it will add some colour to the garden.