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Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their own garden patch and a spot to dig. Children love getting their hands dirty and watching things grow.

Be sure to buy good quality, child sized gardening tools. Plastic toy versions just won’t hold up to the task. You will also need children’s gloves and a watering can.

Mark off the garden area and turn the soil. Kids can help break up any lumps with their hands. Work in some organic compost.

Choose seeds that will grow quickly. Small children get impatient if their plants take too long to sprout. Radishes, Snapdragons, Cosmos, and Sunflowers will all germinate quickly. Carrots and strawberries are also easy to grow– and yummy to eat.

Large seeds like beans and Morning Glories are easy for small fingers to push into the ground. You can start your seeds indoors in an eggshell carton. When the seedlings are an inch high, tear off the egg carton, and leaving the soil intact, transplant the seedlings outside.

Or, try placing beans on a wet paper towel inside a zip top bag. Tape the bag to a sunny window and wait for the seeds to germinate. I can remember, as a child, checking my beans every morning before school. The first shoots appeared to my delight and we carefully transplanted the beans outdoors.

Make garden markers by painting small rocks. This will help kids keep track of their selections.

Make it fun!

Grow a sunflower house by planting the sunflowers in a circle with a space in the middle big enough for your kids to hide. Be sure to leave room for a door.

Grow a spaghetti garden. Plant herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, and parsley. My kids love to snip fresh herbs. They stuff their pockets full of scented “spaghetti” herbs.

Share your garden with butterflies and hummingbirds. Zinnias, Verbena, and Cosmos are butterfly favorites. Hummingbirds love the nectar from Nasturtium and Lantana, and Hollyhocks.

Children love to pick up bugs and worms. Poke holes in the top of an old jar. Add some dirt and a few, new found specimens. Be sure to release the critters back into nature after a few hours.

Arm your kids with cameras to take photos throughout the summer. They will enjoy remembering the fruits of their labor. And, the pictures will help your budding gardener plan for next year.

Happy planting. And, don’t forget to pick a few bouquets for mom.

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About The Author
Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that’s jam packed with family ideas, visit www.togetherparenting.com.
To subscribe to her online newsletter, go to www.togetherparenting.com/feedback.asp

Tags: garden, gardening, will help, your kidsgarden, gardening, will help, your kids

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Anthony Fisher Pixies are unique and hand crafted. Based out of Cornwall these pieces have a creative unique look. Not your everyday storybook pixie, Anthony Fisher pixies have a similarity to the artistry of the traditional European fairytales.

These pixies are collectors’ items with a wide variety to choose from. Each is just as unique as the name given to them. Take for example “Billy Winks Money Box” a pixie figurine that is sleeping in his log home. Each pixie has a story that goes along with them. For example Billy’s story is that he likes to steal little things from humans just to cause trouble, that by the way is what pixies like to do best. Unfortunately, Billy Winks is a lazy pixie and you can usually find him sleeping.

These figurines are perfect for adult or child alike. They can be placed in a child’s room or through out the home. They even make a wonderful addition to any garden. Since the many of the pieces have aspects of nature in them, Anthony Fisher Pixies are a perfect match for the average gardener. Pieces such as Sunflower Sam and anyone from his Naughty Sporting series are a good choice for the garden. Other functional pieces include birdbaths, plant holders and even a welcome to my garden piece.

There are other functional pieces for in the home or for use on the patio to entertain as well. These include a wine bottle holder, cooking utensil holder and bookends. All pieces are handmade and have the signature uniqueness only an Anthony Fisher Pixie can carry.

When purchasing an Anthony Fisher Pixie be sure that is an officially licensed place that sells them and be sure to ask about a certificate of authenticity. As with all collectibles it is best to make sure that the piece has the certificate of authenticity with out this your collectible is nothing more than a statue. Also the certificate of authenticity proves that your hard earned money was spent on what you intended it to be spent on.

All in all Anthony Fisher Pixies are the perfect choice to add a little fantasy to the mundane home. They will add a feeling o warmth fun and fantasy to any location. Pieces are reasonably priced and a person on any budget can find a piece that suits them best. These pieces can be found on internet websites that deal in selling just his pieces or directly through the artist’s own website.

Anthony Fisher Pixies

Tags: exterior decoration, garden decor, garden gnomes, pixies, yard figurinesexterior decoration, garden decor, garden gnomes, pixies, yard figurines

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AS LONG AS I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by wild birds. I have to think it is their freedom of flight. Ah yes, to come and go wherever and whenever. Birds soaring in the wind, how grand that must be. I started feeding birds at age 10 and really began to garden for birds when I was 30 years old.
Things began to happen as my bird garden grew. Other wildlife besides birds began to make my yard part of their home. Not lions, tigers and bears, oh my, but squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons, bunnies and other furry creatures. I figure it goes with the territory and I have remedied most of that with baffles etc.

Other forms of winged life. Insects, lots of different insects came a calling. Oh sure, we all have out battles with aphids, mites and other plant sucking and chewing bugs. However, these bugs attract other good insects and attract more birds and even bats.

Throughout the seasons, my yard is now home to butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs, katydids, praying mantis and a host of other beneficial insects. My yard is full of life! The various movements of flight and color. Different insect sights and sounds fill the air from spring throughout the summer into fall.

My birds find a place to nest and plenty of food to feed their young. I have birds doing nose dives in the ground cover. Birds fluttering in the shrubs to grab the protein needed to survive. There is something special in watching a Cedar Waxwing or Tree Swallow catching dinner on the fly. Now that is what I call “Fast Food!” Yep, never mind the 30 minute meals for my birds.

Frogs and toads have found a home as well. Three different species of frogs have adopted my little water garden. Toads help to keep the slugs and ground insects in check.

Several insects help to pollinate the blooms (In return, I’ve learned to plant several HOST PLANTS to keep the cycle going.) The old blooms produce seed, berries and nuts for the birds and other wildlife. Insect larvae and eggs offer protein for my birds in the cold winter months as well.

By offering fresh water, shelter and a cornucopia of food, my yard always has something new in store for me. My yard is always alive!

Planting for wildlife has paid huge dividends for me.

What’s in your yard?

Ronald Patterson
WindStar Wildlife Habitat Naturalist
Michigan Certified Nurseryman
Kentwood, MI
http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Ronald Patterson has a passion for wildbirds. He’s been feeding and caring for birds for more then 40 years. Ron is a “Wildlife Habitat Naturalist” and “Michigan Certified Nurseryman.” He also lectures and writes about birds and other wildlife. His expertise and knowledge on birds, habitats, and plants makes him the ideal person to help you learn to garden for birds. Ron Patterson’s writes a weekly newsletter called “Backyard Birding Tips.” You can sign up today and have Ron give you friendly and often humorous advise on Attractting, feeding and caring for wildlife. Go to: http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Sign up for Ron Patterson’s newsletter today and start learning from one of America’s backyard birding experts.

http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Tags: Backyard birds, birdfeed, Birds, landscape for wildlife., planting for wildlife, water for birdsBackyard birds, birdfeed, Birds, landscape for wildlife., planting for wildlife, water for birds

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