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Growing Up Gardening - My Philadelphia Flower Show Presentation!

by on ‎02-28-2014 02:37 PM

Hi, everyone!


I’m headed to the Philadelphia Flower Show this weekend and I’m buttoning up the craft projects for my "Growing Up Gardening" presentation at 11am ET. So I just thought I’d practice my demonstration here in my blog. You don’t mind, right? Smiley Happy


I love to garden…in fact, I just love being outdoors. I instantly feel relaxed when I’m outside and rejuvenated to be back in touch with nature. I don’t think enough of us garden—it’s so easy nowadays to go to a store and buy fresh produce or flowers. But gardening is a valuable skill and something we should make an effort to pass along to our kids, so they’ll grow up and want to have a garden of their own. So how do we instill that passion early on? How do you keep their interest when there are so many other distractions vying for their attention? You grow a garden together. You can also make fun crafts for the garden to reinforce that it’s their own creation.


Here’s one of my favorite projects…and you start by raiding your garage. You’re looking for those miniature terracotta flower pots you piled up last spring. Find them? Good! We’re going to make wind chimes out of these cute little pots. See? (Ignore the mess...I'm gathering all my supplies!)


Flower Pot Wind Chime


Here’s what else you’ll need:



  • Colorful outdoor spray paint

  • Craft wire

  • Wire cutters

  • Multicolor beads

  • Miniature jingle bells

  • Garden stake

  • Large eye hook


 Assembly Instructions:


1. After you wipe the dust off your pots, set them on some old newspaper and paint them. I chose to make every pot a different color, but this is your project! Paint as desired.


2. Next, fasten the eye hook to the end of your craft wire, then roll out the wire to gauge the size of your chime. You want to have some room for those colorful beads and all three pots, so make an educated guess. (I erred on the side of caution and made mine a little longer than I thought—it was a good decision!


3. String some beads and bells onto the wire followed by a painted pot. String on more beads and bells and then another pot. Repeat. When you’ve got about an inch left at the bottom, bend the end of the wire up and twist, so the beads won’t fall off.


4. Now, hang it anywhere you like—on a garden stake, a tree branch, or the roof of a patio. Just make sure the kids can see it all the time—they’ll be so proud of their project!


 


You know all those bigger flower pots you shoved aside looking for the tiny ones? Go get em! I've got another great idea for those...Chalkboard Pots! They're perfect for plants--and beyond!


Chalkboard Pots


This project is as simple as simple gets. Just go to your local hardware store and pick up some chalkboard paint—I found it in a spray paint form. Paint the pots and then use chalk to label what’s inside or draw designs. If the pots are staying indoors, you can call it a day. But, if you’re keeping the pots outdoors, be sure to cover them with clear, waterproof spray paint to seal the artwork permanently.


Along the same lines of labeling your plants, here’s a project I like to call Rock Your Garden!


Rock Your Garden


What You'll Need:



  • Several river rocks

  • Weather-resistant spray paint

  • Weather-resistant paint

  • Fine-tip paintbrushes


How to Assemble:


1. Clean the stones in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Spray paint the stones, as desired, allow them to dry completely, and then hand paint as desired. Since these are definitely meant for the outdoors, I would  seal the stones with the same clear, waterproof spray paint you used on the pots.


Finally, growing your own produce can teach kids another valuable lesson—how to cook. On my recipe page, you’ll find my Homemade Strawberry Jam which is easy to make and such a great gift. If your garden can’t produce 2 quarts of berries, use whatever you have and supplement with store-bought produce.


If you don’t have plans tomorrow, come to the Flower Show! I would absolutely LOVE to see all of you there.


From my home to yours,
—Jill