Tag Archive for: Children’s Flower Garden

Three Kids, One Cabbage and a Caterpillar…

Last fall, I planted a flower garden with my children using their old, plastic swimming pool.  You can read more about “A Children’s Garden in an Unusual Place” if you like.  The flowers grew and the kids loved taking care of watering their new plants.  

My mother, (Pastor Farmer), had a few cabbage transplants that she had purchased for her vegetable garden left over and gave them to the kids.  So, we planted two cabbages in the flower garden.

Like most children, my 3 youngest children love to play outside.  One morning, my daughter ran in and told me to hurry outside “to see something really neat.”

Cabbage Transplants

Cabbage Transplants

What they had discovered was a little caterpillar on one of our transplanted cabbages.  It was so small that I had to put on my “old lady” reading glasses just to see him clearly.

The kids were so excited about their find that they were jumping up and down.  Isn’t it amazing at how the simple things bring such joy into a child’s life?

Cabbage Transplants

Here is the caterpillar, who the kids named “Wormy”.  I apologize for the out of focus picture, but it is the best one that I have of him.

My children moved a patio chair right next to the the garden so that they could observe their new pet closely.  For three weeks, they would hurry home from school and run outside to sit and watch him – (at least I think it is a him).   

Then in January, the rains came and one day, we could no longer see “Wormy”.  My fear was that maybe he had been washed away by the storm.  To be honest, the kids were not too upset because by that time, they had tired of watching him all of the time and had moved on to watching their new rose shrubs grow.  I am thankful that at least “Wormy” lives on in our pictures and I have another childhood story to share with my children when they grow up.

By the way, the Three Little Roses are doing well and I will post pictures soon.  There have actually been a few surprises.

I hope you are all having a great week!

A Children’s Flower Garden in a Kiddie Swimming Pool

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I’m sure most of you know how much fun it can be to garden with your kids.  I remember my dad building each of us a raised planter where we could grow vegetables and flowers.  Today, my kids and I went to the store to buy flowers for their new garden.  You will NEVER guess what they are planting their flowers in…

Easy Garden

Our first stop was our local nursery.  Each was allowed to pick out two six-packs of flowers.  The kids decided to each pick a different type of flower and then shared them.  My youngest daughter, Gracie, selected geraniums and blue petunias.

Easy Garden

Ruthie went the fragrant route and selected stock, (beautiful and fragrant despite its ordinary name) and white alyssum.

Easy Garden

Dianthus and snapdragons were Kai’s choice.

Easy Garden

We finished making our selections and then got ready to go home and start planting.  The only question the kids had was – where were they going to plant their flowers?

Easy Garden

How about their old kiddie pool?  You know – the ones that cost about $10 that your kids play in during the summer.  However, once summer is over, most people either throw out their pool or store it somewhere out of the way.  

Well, now you can use it as a planter for either flowers or shallow-rooted vegetables or herbs.

The process is easy, and your kids will have fun assisting you.

First, move the pool where you want the garden to be as it will be too heavy once you fill it with soil.  Then make multiple holes on the bottom for drainage.  Then fill with a mixture of potting mix.  Sprinkle some slow-release fertilizer and now begin planting!

Easy Garden

Gracie planted her first plant, a peach-colored geranium.

Easy Garden
Easy Garden

My teenage daughter, Rachele, was overseeing our progress while texting on her phone.

flowers

We finished!  The kids are so excited to see their flowers grow.  The garden will be a riot of different colors and has no sense of design, which is as it should be for a children’s flower garden.

flowers

This will be our ‘before’ picture.  We planted alyssum, dianthus, geraniums, petunias, snapdragons, and stock.

If you would like to try this at home and want the garden to become a more permanent part of the landscape, you can add a brick border or plant shrubs and perennials around the outside of the pool.