Fun gardening ideas for kids....a green bean teepee?

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Have any of you made teepees for the kids to get them'into'gardening?We did it last year.Set a wooden fence post as the center,string thick twine(or small rope)from the post to the ground,making the teepee frame.Then we planted twining type plants at the base...ie green beans,morning glories,jasmine,etc.The kids had a great time,enjoyed weeding and watering,and got to pick the fruits of their labors.When it was mature,it made a perfect teepee,growing up the twine(and became a dense hideout for the kids). Anyone have any other fun ideas for gardening with the kids?

-- Johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), February 20, 2002

Answers

Plant sunflowers in a large circle leaving a gap for a "door." When the sunflowers are tall enough, plant morning glories at their bases to grow up the stems. Kids love this open-roofed playhouse. Other plants and flowers of various heights can be planted around the circle to fill in gaps in the "walls" and create more privacy. This also makes a great fort for the little boys!

-- IndyAlly (akdouglas@email.com), February 20, 2002.

make it bigger this year!

try putting down 4 corner posts and use twine or 'trash' tree limbs to make a gazebo like top.[baling wire,twine,nails,whichever you have to attach posts to 'roof']

if that is too much green beans for y'all,then plant the pole beans by the posts and use sunflowers or seasame plants for the walls. great beneficial attractors, so the kids can see 'good' bugs up close.

i have made trellis walls even when there were no children on the farm. they beautify the homestead & make enough shade for us big kids to take a break in the shade as well!

tho this year the descriptions of the bent stock panel arches have got me thinking about an igloo shape house, or a gothic little folly...or...or... :)

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), February 20, 2002.


I have seen Indyallys ideal before but only they planted the big mammoth sunflowers and filled in with a smaller sunflower and then planted pole beans and marigolds around it.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 20, 2002.

How about planting a corn maze. I see its done on a large scale by some farmers. If you had enough land to spare, it could be a little money maker for the kids.They could charge a small admission. Have a fall open house with the maze, sell the corn and pumpkins etc, at the same time.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 20, 2002.

I did a search on Yahoo for corn mazes and found a dozen sites just there alone on doing corn mazes , some combined with family farm festivals.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 20, 2002.


I think Johna was thinking of something a little more simple than a corn maze. We made a teepee out of poplar branches saved when a neighbor pruned his tree. Poked them in the ground(they were about 1 1/2" to 2" in diameter and aoubt 15 to 20 ft. high at that time)in a circle 'bout 10 feet in diameter and tied them together at the top. Planted honeysuckle, rambling roses and berries arround the base. Now it is eight years later and it is incredible! All of the poplar "sticks" have grown, the rambling roses are filling it in along with the berries and honeysuckle. Lots of fun for the grandkids. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 20, 2002.

Let the kids scratch faces and stuff into the green rinds of young pumkins and squash. Then, as winter rolls through next year, they will be tickled to see their designs on the dinner table or on the front porch with the other, more boring, jack-o-lanterns!

Also kids love Indian corn. Let them each pick out a variety and hold a contest to see who ends up with the most outrageous ears, or (for a little science-on-the-farm approach) let them cross-breed various varieties and see what fantastic results they get. Have them keep records (who knows, you may end up with a real winner!) and it will be a valuable lesson in farm management.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), February 20, 2002.


Lots of good ideas to try. Thanks,Johna

-- Johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), February 20, 2002.

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