Katherine Halligan
Grace Easton
For Grace and Rose, my busy little bees
For the ladies of Balmoral, Auntie Mimi and Auntie Angie
K. H.
G. E.
First published 2019 by Nosy Crow Ltd The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place, Crosby Row, London, SE1 1YW www.nosycrow.com ISBN 978 1 78800 404 6 ‘The National Trust’ and the oak leaf logo are registered trademarks of The National Trust (Enterprises) Limited (a subsidiary of The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, Registered Charity Number 205846). Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd. Text © Katherine Halligan 2019 Illustrations © Grace Easton 2019 The right of Katherine Halligan to be identified as the author and Grace Easton to be identified as the illustrator of this work has been asserted. All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Printed in China. Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests. 135798642
Contents Introduction
Page 6
Sprouting Baby Beans
Page 8
Magic Garden Fun
Page 10
Garden Adventurer
Page 12
Small Space, Big Fun!
Page 14
Give Your Garden Wings
Page 16
Bug Spotter's Guide
Page 17
Healthy Plants, Healthy You!
Page 18
Yummy Garden
Page 20
Messy Mud Kitchen!
Page 22
Clever Compost
Page 23
Little Acorns and Mighty Oaks
Page 24
Wonderful Wild Flowers
Page 26
Making Memories
Page 27
Great Garden Gear!
Page 28
Staying Safe!
Page 29
Top Tips for Grown-Ups
Page 30
Introduction Do you love the outdoors? Do you like to dig in the dirt and get messy? Then you’re a gardener!
If you want to learn more about what to plant, how to plant it and how to care for it, then this is the book for you!
All you need is a grown-up helper, a few tools, some seeds . . . and a lot of imagination! Ready . . . steady . . .
6
Top Ten Plants for Little Gardeners
Top Ten Useful Gardening Words soil the top layer of earth where plants grow
carrots
pollen
berries
yellow dust made by a plant that is carried to other plants to make new seeds
seedlings very young plants grown from seeds
sunflowers tomatoes radishes
compost a mixture of rotted-down plants that helps to make garden soil better
mulch
pumpkins peas
stuff spread on the ground to protect plants and stop weeds growing
sow
to plant seeds
nasturtiums
harvest
lettuces
to gather plants for eating
plants for Other great, easy-to-grow atoes, pot little gardeners are herbs, et peas swe , dils ffo cress, courgettes, da friends! n rde ga fun t, Fas . and marigolds
sprout
moist
to grow
a bit wet
drainage hollyhocks
letting water flow away from something
7
Sprouting Baby Beans Every seed has a whole plant inside it, just waiting to sprout. Planting seeds is great fun . . . and it’s completely magical watching those first shoots uncurl! by broad To sprout your ba need: beans, you will ans • 3-4 broad be lls cotton wool ba or • kitchen roll n ea cl cup or a • a clear plastic glass jar bottle of water • a clean spray
1
Soak the broad beans overnight in water. Scrunch the kitchen roll or cotton wool balls down into your cup or jar.
2 8
Tuck your broad beans inside. Spray until very damp, then put the cup or jar on a sunny windowsill.
3
Check your baby beans every day. Keep the kitchen roll or cotton wool moist, but don’t let water sit in the bottom of the jar.
4
After 1-2 weeks, the beans will sprout. Roots will start to push down, and leaves will start to pop up. Bravo, baby beans!
The world’s biggest seed is the coco de mer. It can weigh up to 25 kilograms — about as much as a six-year-old child!
25kg
Most seeds need to be kept warm and moist so they ca n sprout. If you’re planting see ds in soil, stick your finger down into the soil to check it’s not too dry . . . but don’t water your seeds too much either, or they won’t grow!
9
Magic Garden Fun Most gardens are big, but some gardens are tiny, and can even be grown indoors. You can make yours extra special . . . with a bit of magic!
To make a magic
First, decorate your pot. When dry, scoop in soil until the pot is three-quarters full. Scatter grass seed over the top, spray with water . . . then sprinkle with magic!
garden, you will ne ed: • grass seed • a small plastic po t with holes in the bottom • potting soil • an old cup, spoo n or scoop • things to decora te your pot such as stickers, paper, fabric, pain t, ribbons or sequ ins • glue or tape and scissors • cocktail sticks • small plastic toys : fairies, dragons . .. whatever you fanc y! • a sprinkle of mag ic
Once your grass has started to grow, add some creatures to your magic garden. You can use your favourite tiny toys, or make your own out of paper and tape them to cocktail sticks. 10
day. If the ic garden every Water your mag st give it ju y, pp flo ng and grass gets too lo n’s scissors. ith some childre a little haircut w rden in your ake a magic ga You could also m make tiny en. Acorn shells grown-up’s gard cones ne friends, and pi teacups for fairy . ns de on ws for drag are perfect pillo
Magic gardens are a perfect project for Easter. Yo u can hide mini chocolate eggs in them and give a garden gif t to your friends or family!
11