Gardening

January gardening guide

January in the garden is about enjoying your fresh produce, prepping for next season and beating the heat. If you have kids, it’s also a great time to get them involved and make gardening a fun holiday activity that you can do together.

Create a garden space just for them

Kids love a space they can call their own, and will learn a lot from the responsibility of looking after a few plants. If they already have an outdoor play area, such as a playhouse, spruce it up with some pots (or buckets) of garden colour. There are a variety of non-toxic flowering plants available in seedling packs from the garden centre; nasturtium, sweet alyssum, and sweet peas are great options. Make a bird feeder

A bird feeder can be made easily from items you probably already have around the home, and, once it’s hung, will surely provide plenty of entertainment for the family. A simple and environmentally friendly way of making a bird feeder is to take a cardboard toilet paper tube, cover it with peanut butter, and roll it through a tray of bird seed (or sunflower seeds). Thread a stick through the roll and tie string to either ends of the stick. Hang from a tree outside and watch the bird’s flock.

For older children, have them record what they see, can they name the different species visiting their bird feeder?

Start a worm farm

Most kids love bugs, and worm farming is a fun and fascinating way for them to learn more about them, while caring for the environment. The specialised layered worm farms are great for those starting out, but a container with drainage and air holes also works. Have the kids help you gather your supplies; you will need to acquire a selection of bedding materials such as shredded newspaper, leaves and garden clippings. Fill the worm farm two thirds of the way with this material and dampen it. Add in your composting worms (purchased from the garden centre) and food scraps - avoiding meat, dairy and citrus. Have the kids help you with adding food scraps regularly and watch as the worms wiggle around and break down the material.

Sow seeds and watch them grow

The process of watching a seed germinate and grow into a seedling is a fascinating one. Growing seeds inside means the kids will be able to keep a close eye. Pumpkin, sunflower and lettuce seeds are good options. Using an egg carton, cut it in half and add soil to each individual egg cup. Have your child use their finger to create a hole in the centre of each cup. Carefully place one seed in each hole. Cover with a light layer of soil and using a spray bottle, spray the soil until it’s moist. Keep a watering schedule with your children and soon enough you’ll all be excited to see shoots appear. Once they have two leaf sets, each cup can be planted straight into the garden. First cut the tray into the individual cups and ensure each cup is fully saturated, then plant. Get creative with paint

Making the garden a fun and bright place to be will ensure it is more inviting for children. Sometimes you just can’t go past paint. Choose water-based, outdoor-friendly paint. Find some pots, perhaps you have some old ones lying around, or plain terracotta pots can be picked up for a good price from garden centres. Let the kids get creative with decorating their pots. Painting rocks with pretty patterns or turning them in to rock pets is sure to be a hit too.