Direct Gardening Association Gardening Articles

Making a Worm Bin

Most kids love to dig in the dirt, where they naturally uncover earthworms. These squirmy creatures pique kids' curiosity, and they can help keep many a child occupied while adults busy themselves with garden chores. And playing with worms is also a great way to teach kids appreciation for nature and her cycles, especially decomposition. Worms are nature's mini composters, improving the soil by creating channels for air and water, and by breaking down organic matter (including your vegetable scraps) and turning it into valuable fertilizer.

To start your own worm bin, you'll need an aerated container, bedding (such as shredded newspaper), a moist and temperate environment, a small amount of soil, and, of course, some worms.

Choosing a Home

The container can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. You can purchase a fully equipped bin or convert a plastic dishpan or 5-gallon bucket to a worm home. Worms need only about 8 to 12 inches of depth to move around in.

To make your own bin, drill 8 to 15 drainage holes in the bottom of the container, depending on its size. Many worm farmers also drill holes in the side near the top edge to further enable air flow. (Some believe that holes 1/4-inch in diameter or less will deter fruit flies from entering.) You'll also need a lid -- made of wood, rubber, hard plastic, or a black plastic sheet -- to maintain darkness and moisture.

Raise the bin on bricks or blocks and place a tray underneath to gather excess liquid. Your bin size will affect how much food the worms can process per week. Allow one square-foot of surface area per pound of scraps per week.

HINT: If you use a clear plastic container, cover it with a dark cloth because worms don't like light. However, this is a fun way for kids to observe the worms. As you take off the cloth, you will usually see many worms against the side of the container. They will dart into the depths of the soil when the cover is removed.

Adding Creature Comforts

Fill your worm bin three-quarters full with damp bedding material, such as shredded newspaper (1-inch strips), dead leaves, or coconut fiber (coir). This is where you'll bury food waste. Adding a handful or two of good garden soil or mulch from the soil surface will provide the grit that worms need to digest food, as well as microbes that help break down organic matter. Bedding materials should be moist, but not wet: about like a wrung-out sponge. If using newspaper, dunk the strips in water and let them drain for just a few minutes before filling the container about two-thirds full. When necessary use a mister to keep the bedding moist or sprinkle small amounts of water in the bin.

Inviting the Guests

Redworms (Eisenia foetida), commonly known as red wigglers or manure worms, are the species most likely to survive in a worm bin. They need lots of organic matter and warmer temperatures than night crawlers or other garden-dwelling earthworms. One pound of worms (approximately 1000) will process 3 to 4 pounds of food scraps per week. You can obtain redworms through mail-order catalogs.

What's for Dinner?

Worms can "eat" approximately their own weight in food scraps every day. Keep it vegetarian, providing vegetable and fruit scraps, pulverized egg shells (for calcium), spoiled food, coffee grounds, and tea bags. Avoid meats, dairy products, and oily foods, which can create foul odors and attract flies and rodents.

Indoors or Out?

Locate worm bins inside or outside. In either case, temperatures should remain between 40 and 80 degrees F. If bins are outdoors, shelter from hot sun and heavy rain.

Tending the Bin

Have your young worm caretakers feed the worms slowly at first, gauging whether the food balance and moisture content seem adequate or need to be adjusted. A popular strategy is to divide your bin into 5 to 7 sections, then bury the food in a different section of the bedding each week. The worms will follow their nourishment around the bin.

Removing the Castings

After two to three months, when most of the food and bedding have been transformed into dark, rich compost, it's time to remove the worm castings (finished compost) because excess castings are poisonous to the worms. One method is to move the castings to one side of the bin, then place fresh bedding and food waste in the other side and let the worms migrate naturally, over time, to the fresh food and bedding. You can also dump the entire bin contents onto a plastic sheet and shine a bright light on the pile. The worms will migrate to the bottom to get away from the light, and (with gloved hands) your kids can then scoop the castings into a bucket. Then prepare new bedding and return the worms to the bin, where they'll start all over on a new batch of compost.

Turning Kids on to Herbs

One reason kids love the garden is that different rules apply there: you're allowed to get dirty, touch things, and even eat the flowers! Herbs and edible blooms fit well into this plan, releasing their appetizing and alluring aromas when handled. Pinching leaves and nibbling a nasturtium petal enlivens the senses, and can lead to interesting explorations.

Herbs of Yore

The word "herb" conjures up visions of bottled spices and oils, soothing teas, or the green flecks in spaghetti sauce. But these aromatic plants played even more vital roles in earlier times. In many cultures, herbs and spices were considered more valuable than gold, and people took risky journeys to find and trade them. After all, it was the desire to find a shorter routes for trading valuable spices that motivated explorers like Columbus to travel from home, "discovering" new worlds along the way. What made early peoples revere these strong smelling plants?

Imagine how people coped hundreds or thousands of years ago without drugstores, grocery stores, sanitary facilities, cosmetics stores, or adequate clean bathing water. What might they have done if they had a headache, for instance? Through trial and error, people discovered that certain plants could be used to treat illness and injury.

As it turns out, these observant people of earlier times were onto something. It wasn't until the late 1800s, though, that chemists began actually isolating the chemicals in plants to promote healing. (The word "drug" comes from the old Germanic word "drigan", which means "to dry," since drugs were originally dried herbs.) Although many of these active chemicals are now created synthetically, new medically important substances are constantly being found in plants.

Illness and injury weren't the only concerns in earlier times. Without refrigeration, food would have spoiled quickly. What better way to disguise the odors and tastes of spoiling food than with aromatic plants? The fragrances of many of these plants were also used to keep homes and bodies smelling fresh in the form of potpourri, perfumes, and lotions. During the medieval period, freshly cut herbs were actually strewn on floors to scent air and repel pests.

Growing an Edible Flower Planter

There's something about the idea of eating flowers that captures the curiosity of children, and they can easily grow their own little garden of edible flowers in a large planter. They might even be tempted to eat salads topped with their own fresh-picked blossoms.

You'll need:

potting mix, not garden soil a large container, 14 to 16 inches in diameter
nasturtium seeds, trailing and compact varieties
1 calendula plant, 1 chive plant, 3 viola plants. Purchase organically grown plants to be sure the are safe to eat. (Or, you can start these from seed indoors in spring.)

1. Plant the flowers in the container, with the taller chives and calendula in the back and the violas in the front. Then sow the compact nasturtiums in the middle and the trailing nasturtiums in the front and sides.

2. Keep the planter moist, not wet, and in full sun. Avoid using pesticides on these plants.

3. Your children can snip the flowers with small scissors, gently rinse them, and let them dry on paper towels. The flowers can then be eaten as is, or added to salads or used as garnish for casseroles and other dishes. Violas are fun to use as decoration for cakes and cupcakes.

Seeds: The Promise of Life

Seeds are the beginning and the end — miniscule miracles that contain all that's needed to produce a sunflower, cabbage, or great oak. Watching these seemingly lifeless objects burst forth with growth is enough to capture the imaginations of most kids, but there are lots of ways to explore the wonder of seeds in addition to planting them.

Did You Know?

1. What is the only fruit with seeds on the outside? The strawberry. On average, there are 200 tiny seeds on the outside of a strawberry.

2. What are the largest seeds? The coconut — the seed of the coconut palm tree — is the largest seed, sometimes weighing as much as a bowling ball.

3. Do seeds know which way is up? Even if seeds are planted upside-down, the roots will grow down and the shoots will grow up. Gravity exerts its pull on the roots; and the shoots, seeking light, always grow upwards.

4. Do large seeds produce large plants and vice versa? Surprisingly, the size of the seed has no relation to the size of the plant it can produce. The seed of a giant sequoia tree, for example, is smaller than a milkweed seed.

Exploring the Mysteries of Seeds

Have your kids search the pantry and refrigerator for any seeds they can find, such as lentils, dried beans, brown rice, poppy seeds, and so on. Plan a "seed snack day" in which each food item has to contain seeds in some form. What would they like to make?
Kids can try to grow some of those pantry seeds to see what happens. Don't forget the tried-and-true avocado which can turn into a long-lived houseplant.
Encourage your kids to Think Big. Some tree seeds can be successfully germinated indoors and later planted in the back yard. Some of the easiest ones to grow are: red pine, Douglas fir, Colorado spruce, thornless honey locust, red and silver maples, black walnut, American chestnut, white oak, and apple.
Kids love handling seeds packets, and they can be inspiring to older children who may enjoy focusing their creative energy on creating their own packet. They can choose a favorite plant or make up a new one, make up a seed company name and logo, and design the packet. Help them decide what information needs to be included, such as planting tips and growing conditions.
Share seedy language with your kids. Brainstorm seed symbols in our language (e.g., good and bad seed, seed money, seed of an idea). How does the word seed give different phrases meaning?
Read about the work and experiments of Luther Burbank, a keen observer and curious scientist who explored how to produce better plants and tastier fruits and vegetables by saving seeds from selected plants.

Making Seed Tapes

Seed tapes are simply seeds fastened to a thin biodegradable paper with a glue that dissolves easily. They are fun to make, and they provide a handy way for kids to plant their seeds the appropriate distance apart. They also cut down on the chance of seeds being accidentally spilled onto the ground!

Materials:

seeds
corn starch
paper towels
small plastic bag with sealable top

1. First, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 1 cup of cold water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture starts to boil and turns into a gel, remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

2. When mixture is cool, put a few spoonfuls into a small plastic bag and seal the top.

3. Take three or four paper towels, fold them at the perforations, and cut them into 1-inch strips. Unfold and lay them on a flat surface.

4. Refer to the seed packet to note how far apart the seeds should be spaced. Using a ruler and pen, make dots on the towel strips at the appropriate spacing.

5. Snip off the corner of the gel-filled bag and drop a little glob of gel on each of the marked spots. Place a seed on each drop of gel. The seeds will be firmly attached when the gel dries.

6. Lay the seed tapes in the soil at the preferred planting depth, cover with soil, and water.

Exploring Flowers

Flowers have long inspired humans with their beauty and fragrances, and we've bestowed them with symbolic meanings. Myths and symbolism aside, the real job of flowers is to ensure that plants produce offspring. Animals can roam about and seek mates with whom to reproduce, but imagine the challenge for a plant, rooted firmly to the ground, to achieve this same end. Over millions of years, flowers have evolved a remarkable range of strategies to guarantee that male pollen is transferred to female flower parts so fertilization and seed production can occur.

Flower Courtship

Colors. Since most pollinators fly, flower color sends a bold signal to potential partners passing by. Different pollinators may see the same colors differently, and some can't see certain colors at all, but they may be drawn by other characteristics, such as scent. The colors that humans see are not necessarily what bees or beetles see. Regardless of how it is perceived, color is a primary means by which flowers grab attention

Patterns. Many flowers, such as foxgloves and irises, also feature stripes, spots, or other markings that guide pollinators toward food. (Some of these nectar guides are invisible to humans but quite apparent to hungry bees!) Some, such as Gaillardia (blanket flowers) have concentric rings, providing a target focused on the nutritious nectar "bull's eye." Lilies have ridged petals that similarly guide their guests. Have your child look at a delphinium blossom. Don't those tufts of hairs in the center look like a bee? This fake bee helps lure other bees into the flower.

Shapes. Flowers' shapes are important for protecting pollen, attracting or precluding certain pollinators, or ensuring that pollen is picked up and transferred. For instance, butterflies tend to prefer flat, open surfaces with views (e.g., zinnias), while certain bees seem to like those with special petals that serve as landing platforms (e.g., delphiniums). Open, bowl-shaped flowers (e.g., poppies) can be easily seen by and offer warm access to short-tongued insects. The shallow blossoms of milkweeds, phlox, mints, and similar flowers also appeal to short-tongued insects such as honeybees and wasps. The nectar in tubular flowers, such as bee balm, is available to beaks and tongues with a long reach.

Drooping, bell-shaped flowers protect their sexual parts from weather and offer food and shelter for honeybees and bumblebees, who can feed while hanging. Some flowers, such as snapdragons, have hinged petals or other mechanisms, to conceal their sexual parts and nectar. They are closed to all but selected pollinators (in this case, certain bees) who have the dexterity, strength, and tenacity to open the flower.

Making a Flower Press

Kids can preserve their favorite flowers by pressing them and using the flowers in artwork or handmade cards.
Here's what you'll need:

two 12- by 12-inch pieces of cardboard
newspaper
string or large rubber bands
heavy books
blank note cards
all-purpose glue
toothpicks
clear self-adhesive shelf paper

1. Help your children pick flowers and other plant parts, such as fern leaves, that they would like to use to make colorful art and gifts. Pick on a sunny day and try to choose flowers that are about to bloom or have recently opened, since old parts won't keep as well. Leave about an inch of stem attached.

2. Make the press. Lay down a square of cardboard, and on top of that place two or three sheets of newspaper. Next, arrange the flowers and other plant parts. (Take apart larger flowers and use just the petals.) The plants will dry best if you make sure they don't touch each other.

3. When the first layer is filled with plant parts, place several more sheets of newspaper on top, then start a new layer. Try to keep flowers and other parts with the same thickness on the same layer. Continue layering in this way and finish off with a layer of newspapers and a final piece of cardboard.

4. Tie a string or place a rubber band around your plant press, then set a heavy stack of books on it. Allow your plants to dry for two or three weeks, or until they're dry to the touch.

5. Kids can arrange and mount the flowers and leaves on note cards or plain white paper. Attach them by applying spots of glue with a toothpick. If a flower, petal, or leaf seems breakable, put the glue on the paper, let it sit until somewhat dry, then pick up the flower with a damp fingertip and place it on the glue. To protect their artwork, you may want to cut a piece of self-adhesive paper to size and press it in place over the arrangement. (This paper is tricky for kids to use.)

Designing a Kids' Garden
When it comes to making a kids-only garden, half the fun is in the designing. Here's where your backyard reflects your family's own style, your garden's conditions, and your region's climate. There are plenty of resources to advise you on the last two, but you're the expert when it comes to creating a garden that matches your family's personalities.

Getting Started
Start simple and small. One easy design is to divide one-foot-squares with paths, adding as many as you'd like in whatever pattern suits your spot. The paths can be made of stones, bark mulch, newspaper covered with straw, or even boards. Kids plant something different in each square. The design is tidy and manageable. Circular gardens are fun, too. Slice them, pie-fashion, with the paths meeting in the middle. Kids can create a teepee out of branches (see "Making a Garden Teepee" on page 2) to use as focal point for the center of the circle garden.

Sketch it out. Kids may have an easier time creating the look of their garden by drawing it rather than talking about it. Whether or not they take this step, it's helpful for you to sketch the garden on graph paper with one square equaling one foot. This will guide you in laying out the garden on the site. Add paths and draw any structures your kids are dreaming of.
Landscape considerations:

Place the garden/play area where you can see it from your kitchen window or other rooms you spend a lot of time in.
Look up and down. Before you dig, be aware of any power lines, pipes, septic systems, or other existing limitations.
Create your space. A fence or wall adds privacy and sets boundaries for kids and gear.
Choose your materials wisely. They should resist rust, rot, and roughhousing. Path surfaces should be comfortable and safe for bare feet but not too slippery when wet.
Create a garden place for family gatherings. No space? At least make room for kids' outdoor lunches. You don't have to build a deck; a simple fire pit for roasting marshmallows in a country yard or a canopy in a corner of an urban lot will do.

Plants That Make Lasting Impressions
Kids like extremes. Huge flowers, like the classic sunflower, and small vegetables, like cherry or tiny grapelike tomatoes, are tried-and-true favorites. If you have room, try 'Atlantic Giant' pumpkins; if you don't, try bush cucumbers and pick them at cornichon-size for tiny pickles.

Try plants that come in surprising colors and textures. Purple carrots, striped beets, rainbow chard, and white 'Easter egg' radishes are tantalizing. Some kids even go for the blue otatoes. Textured plants are irresistible. If your conditions are right for them, include the fuzzy woolly thyme and lambs' ears, the prickly coneflower and strawflowers, and the delicate maidenhair fern and columbine.

Fragrant plants transport the imagination. If you grow them now, your child will always remember the scents of heliotrope, mignonette, roses, peonies, and lilacs. If you show them which plants to rub between their fingers, they'll never forget lavender, pineapple mint, lemon balm, rosemary, basil, and scented geraniums.

Night bloomers fill summer evenings with magic. Children will never forget heading out at night with flashlights and watching the sphinx moths zooming among the nicotiana and moonflowers. Four o'clock strikes, and evening primroses open, as their name promises.

Positively pickable plants get the thumbs up. While mom's landscape may be off-limits for bouquet gathering, children should have free reign over certain cutting gardens. Cosmos, snapdragon, salvia, zinnia, coleus, and celosia are just a few that produce more vigorously if picked.

Dyeing with Plants

Natural dyes from plants have been used throughout history for decorating animal skins, fabrics, crafts, hair, and bodies. Kids love to color their world, and they need look no further than a family garden, a patch of weeds, their school grounds, and local grocery stores to find enough plants to yield a rainbow of colors. We've seen how much learning and fun arises out of the process of dyeing with plants, so we've presented some basics below. If this just whets your appetite, take a look at our new Plant-Based Dye Kit which contains all you need to get started, from seeds to fabric, including a full-color chart of dye plants and how to use them.

Did You Know?

What fibers are best to use with plant dyes? Animal fibers, such as wool and silk, tend to take up plant dyes better than plant-based dyes, such as cotton and flax. This is because the protein fibers have scale-like molecules that provide more locations where pigment molecules can attach. Cotton and other plant fibers have smoother molecules with fewer sites for the pigment.

How can you tell what color dye can be made from a particular plant? Sometimes the flower color is an indicator of the dye these flowers will produce, but not always. Calendula flowers, for example, yield a yellow dye. But yellow black-eyed Susan flowers produce an avocado green dye. Also, different mordants can sometimes be used to create different colored dyes from the same plant.

Why do dyes from plants tend to be more subtle than synthetic dyes? Most plant parts contain a mixture of pigments, so they are not as pure and concentrated as synthetic dyes.

Plant Dyes of the Past

Since prehistoric times, humans have used plant pigments to enrich their lives. Historians and scientists believe that prehistoric animal skins and cave paintings dating back to 15,000 B.C. were dyed with plant pigments. They've discovered examples of early dyed fibers in Egypt dating to around 2000 B.C., and Chinese records revealing even earlier use of plants as fabric dyes. Ancient Britons, called Picts, used woad, a plant, to dye their bodies blue and frighten enemies in battle, while the British marched against the Americans in their well-known red coats dyed with madder root.

By the Middle Ages, dyeing had become an important industry in Europe. Farmers specialized in growing specific dye plants, and well-organized dyers guilds carefully guarded their craft secrets. Meanwhile, throughout the world, indigenous people were using native plant dyes for clothing, cosmetics, and crafts. In the 1800s a scientist named Sir Henry Perkin was trying to synthesize quinine to treat malaria but, as often happens in science, he made an entirely different discovery. He inadvertently produced the first synthetic lavender dye, which he called mauve. Mauve soon became the popular fashion color of the era. This discovery spelled the beginning of the end of the natural dye industry, and by the mid- to late 1800s, less expensive, more predictable synthetic dyes had replaced natural dyes. In this country today, natural dyeing is done primarily as a craft, often by those who knit and weave.

Collecting Dye Plants

You and your kids can find plant materials for dyeing in several places. You can collect them in the wild, grow them, or purchase dye plants from a grocery store or catalog specializing in natural dyes. You may have some dye plants already growing in your garden, since you can extract interesting colors from a range of common garden and roadside weeds. If you collect plants or plant parts for dyeing, be sure to use plants that grow in abundance, taking care not to collect any rare or protected species.

You will need a lot of plant material. A four-to-one ratio of fresh plant material to wool (by weight) for dyeing is generally recommended, and plant fibers like cotton require even higher proportions. That is just a ballpark number, though. Kids can have fun experimenting with different proportions of plant materials.

The list below includes just a fraction of the plants others have used to produce dyes. Your results will depend on a host of factors, including soil type, moisture content, mordant used to bind the dye (if any), fabric, ripeness or freshness of the material, how finely you shred it, and proportion of plant material to fabric.

Garden Flowers

aster (yellow)
black-eyed Susans (yellow)
chamomile (yellow)
coreopsis (orangish)
marigolds (yellow)
sunflowers and seeds (gold)
zinnias (yellow)

Weeds

bindweed (yellow)
cocklebur (brass)
dandelions (magenta, with no mordant)
dock (brass)
giant ragweed (brass/gold)
goldenrod (brass)
mullein (yellow)
redroot pigweed (brass/gold)

Other Dye Plants

alder leaves (yellow)
birch leaves (yellow/tan)
black walnut hulls (black)
red cabbage (pinkish)
carrot tops (green)
mint leaves (yellow)
parsley leaves (yellow)
spinach plants (green)
tomato plants (pink/blue)
turmeric (orangish)
wild grapes (purple)
wild mustard (yellow)

The ABCs of Using Plant Dyes

Materials:

plant parts: flowers, leaves, roots
white wool yarn or other wool fiber (wool dyes easily)
enamel pot

Getting the Color Out

Once you and your kids have collected plant parts, it's fun to predict what colors might emerge from them. Then it's time to test your predictions. Here is one simple method for getting the color out:

Shred plant materials to expose more surface area from which color can be extracted.

Cover plant materials with water in an enamel pot. Simmer them for about an hour until the water is colored and the plant tissues look bleached, then strain the dye bath through cheesecloth or an old stocking to get rid of plant material. (Some dyers do simultaneous dyeing in which the plant materials are left in when the fabric is dyed. If you decide to do this, place the plants or the fabric in an old stocking or net bag to protect the material from direct contact.)

Dyeing the Fiber

Wash the fiber with soap before dyeing. It's important to remove dirt and oils that could interfere with the dye binding to the fabric. If you're using a skein of yarn, tie it loosely so the dye can penetrate well.

Add fiber to the dye bath, simmer it for 30 minutes to an hour, turning it gently. Stir and check the color every 10 minutes or so. Kids may want to experiment by leaving the fiber in for different amounts of time, even allowing it to cool and steep in the dye bath overnight. Or they might want to do some "tie dyeing" to see what patterns emerge when they tie knots, rubber bands, or otherwise prevent the dye from penetrating throughout the fabric.

Rinse dyed fiber with progressively cooler water and hang it to dry.

Gifts for Kids to Make

This holiday season why not let nature provide the materials for wonderful homemade gifts, and let kids provide the creative energy to make them! In our Family Room this month, you'll find instructions for making several gifts from the garden that can be made in under two hours with easy-to-find materials. We've also compiled a list of our favorite garden/nature-related fiction books that would make great gifts for budding gardeners.

Pomander Balls

Citrus pomanders make decorative and fragrant tree ornaments or natural air fresheners, and they are very long-lasting. Kids like the spicy scents of cloves and cinnamon, and there's something appealing about pushing tiny cloves into the citrus rind. Wrapped in festive paper, these make unique teacher gifts.

Materials:

oranges, limes, or lemons
whole cloves
ground cinnamon
ground orris root, optional (found in craft or grocery stores)
thimble
ribbon

Push the cloves into the fruit, pointed end first, to cover the surface, spacing the cloves about a clove's head distance apart (the fruit will shrink as it cures and pull the cloves closer together). Use a thimble to protect the fingertip that's pushing in the cloves. If you don't have a thimble small enough for your child's finger, wrap a washcloth around the finger to keep it from getting sore.
Mix together the cinnamon and orris root in equal proportions, or just use cinnamon. Place the fruit and cinnamon in a small bag and gently shake it to coat the fruit. Set the pomanders aside to cure for about 3 weeks.
For a hanging pomander, tie a ribbon around the ball, leaving a loop at the end.

Pounded Flower Prints

The color and shape of flowers and leaves can be transferred to fabric to decorate pillow cases or napkins or make prints for framing. Kids get a kick out of pounding the flowers, and it's often surprising what color pigment a flower will produce.

Materials:

fresh flowers and leaves
rubber mallet (a hammer will do in a pinch)
white or light-colored cotton pillowcases, napkins, or fabric, depending on what the child wants to make. Old sheets work well if you want to make small prints suitable for framing.
safety goggles
wax paper
newspaper

If using new napkins or pillowcases, wash them first to remove sizing. If your child is making a print to be framed, cut fabric 1 inch larger than frame size to allow a 1-inch border that can be wrapped around a piece of cardboard in the frame.
Cut flowers from stems, leaving a little bit of stem attached.
Choose a work space that can take pounding with a hammer, such as the floor or a sturdy work table. Cover surface with thick protective layer of newspaper, and place wax paper on top to keep the newsprint from being transferred to the fabric. Lay fabric on top of the wax paper. Have kids practice on scrap fabric first to see the effects of different flowers.
Kids can create a design by placing flowers and leaves one at a time face down on the fabric. Then place sheet of wax paper over entire design.
Now the fun begins. With safety goggles on, kids can hammer hard with the mallet through the wax paper to transfer the flower pigment onto the fabric. Move the hammer all over the flowers, including along the margins, to define the shape. Thick flowers require more pounding.
Remove wax paper and check the fabric. Kids may want to add more flowers and continue the process until they are pleased with the results. For a print to be framed, leave the small flower pieces that adhere to the fabric. For napkins and pillowcases, remove the residue.
Wash napkins and pillowcases in cold water and iron them. (Flower prints may fade when washed in hot water.) For a framed print, iron the fabric, then wrap the border of the fabric around the thin piece of cardboard that comes with the frame (or provide your own). Tape fabric to cardboard and place it in the frame.

Leaf Shade

These easy-to-make shades emit a warm glow and let the silhouettes of leaves show through when they are placed around a small lantern, lamp, or candle. They can also be sized to fit snugly around a lampshade.

Materials:

leaves of various sizes with interesting margins
wax paper
2-inch-wide ribbon or heavy wrapping paper for top and bottom edges of the shade
paper towels
glue stick

Spread paper towels on a work table or ironing board. Cut two 24-inch long pieces of wax paper, and lay one of them on top of the paper towels.
Arrange leaves on top of the wax paper, leaving a 1 1/2-inch margin around the edges. Leave space between the leaves for the light to shine through.
Lay the second sheet of wax paper on top of the first sheet, sandwiching the leaves in between. Cover with a layer of paper towels.
Iron the wax paper through the paper towel layer (with iron set on low temperature) to fuse together the wax paper layers. Avoid overheating the paper or you'll melt the wax entirely and the layers won't stick together.
Cut edging into two strips 2 inches wide and 24 inches long. Fold the strips in half lengthwise. Slip the top edge of the shade inside one of the folded strips and glue in place. Repeat with the other strip on the bottom edge of the shade.
Fold over ends of the shade to make finished edges and overlap the ends, gluing them together to form a cylinder.
Test the effect by setting the shade over a lantern or candle. Voila!

Planting a Wildflower Meadow

Creating a wildlife habitat often starts with choosing native plants. Butterflies, birds, and a host of other wildlife thrive in partnership with native plants - often defined as plants that were here before Europeans arrived. A great way to get started is to establish a wildflower planting, which could range from a small patch to an entire meadow. Your children are sure to enjoy watching the butterflies and birds that will come to visit.

Getting Started

Assess your site. Take an inventory of the proposed wildflower area and observe the amount of sunlight at different times of day. An open area with a minimum of six hours of sun daily is ideal for most wildflowers. What is the character of the soil? (Well-drained? Dark and rich? Compact?) A well-drained soil is ideal. Since many wild plants are adapted to poor soils, you shouldn't need to enrich yours unless it's very dense (in which case you can add organic matter).

Select seeds/plants. A wildflower planting usually features annuals (plants that flower and complete their life cycles in one year, often reseeding themselves), biennials (plants that bloom during the second and final year of their life cycle), and perennials (plants that bloom for several years). Although the latter types take longer to establish, they are also longer lasting.

You can purchase a ready-made wildflower mix (a meadow in a can!) designed for general regions, but these mixes may contain seed of plants not well suited to your area. Instead, consider planting seeds of specific wildflowers. If you choose the latter, take into consideration their heights, colors, and bloom periods, and whether they are perennial, biennial, or annual.

Prepare the site

Here are some cardinal rules for preparing a site for wildflowers:

1.) Get rid of as many weeds as possible.

2.) Create a bed that allows the seeds to have good contact with the soil.

3.) Keep the soil moist while seeds are germinating and seedlings are young.

You can dig a small area by hand; for a larger planting you may want to use a rototiller. After working the soil and removing weeds, rake it flat.

Plant the Seeds

If your wildflower mix has abundant annual flowers, sow your wildflower seeds in the spring. This would also be the time to transplant any wildflowers you've purchased. If your wildflower mix has a lot of native grasses and perennial flowers, consider planting in the late summer or early fall.

Broadcast seeds by hand; a spreader is handy for seeding large areas. To ensure that you spread the tiny seeds relatively evenly, mix one part wildflower seeds with four parts of dry sand or vermiculite.

After seeding, rake the top inch of soil lightly so seeds are not buried too deeply. Water seeds thoroughly if rain is not imminent.

Maintain Your Wild Oasis

In the early stages, it's particularly important to keep the soil moist and weed out undesirable intruders, which will rob your plants of nutrients and water. Unfortunately, it can be tough to tell unwanted from chosen plants.

If you have enough annuals, your patch or meadow should be vibrant the first year. Many perennial wildflowers spend the first season growing roots and have very little top growth, and then bloom in the second year or beyond. You can always add extra annual and perennial plants to fill in gaps.

In the fall, ideally after a first frost, mow or otherwise cut back plant tops and leave their debris on the ground. The seeds they release may germinate come spring warmth and rains.

Welcoming Plant Pollinators

The action of butterflies and other "bugs" often attract children to gardens. Creating a garden that provides a haven for pollinators engages kids and makes a difference for bees, moths, butterflies -- even bats and hummingbirds -- many of which are struggling due to habitat loss.

Did You Know?

1. Why are pollinators important? Pollinators visit flowers to feed on nectar, inadvertently picking up pollen on their bodies and transferring it from one flower to another. When the pollen (male) comes in contact with the female parts of another flower, fertilization can occur, which initiates the production of fruit and seeds. No pollinator, no seeds of future generations.

2. What is the most prolific pollinator? Bees pollinate more flowers than any other creatures on earth. This may change, however, since 70 to 90 percent of wild bees have been lost in many states, and the honeybee population is declining as well.

3. How do plants attract pollinators? A flower's mission in life is to produce new offspring, so its color, fragrance, and shape are designed to attract pollinators.

Pollinators and Their Favorite Flowers

See if your kids can find examples of some of these types of flowers in your gardens.

Ants: Although ants like pollen and nectar, they aren't good pollinators, so many flowers have sticky hairs or other mechanisms to keep them out.

Bats: Large, light-colored, night-blooming flowers with strong fruity odor (e.g., many cactus flowers). Bats don't see well, but have a keen sense of smell.

Bees: Yellow, blue, purple flowers. There are hundreds of types of bees, and they have a range of flower preferences.

Beetles: White or dull-colored, fragrant flowers since they can't see colors (e.g., potatoes, roses).

Butterflies: Red, orange, yellow, pink, blue. Because they need to land before feeding, they like flat-topped clusters (e.g., zinnias, calendulas, butterfly weeds) in a sunny location.

Carrion-eating flies: Maroon, brown flowers with foul odors (e.g., wild ginger); Flies -- Green, white, cream flowers. Many like simple bowl-shaped flowers or clusters.

Hummingbirds: Red, orange, purple/red tubular flowers with lots of nectar, since they live exclusively on flowers (e.g., sages, fuschias, honeysuckles, nasturtiums, columbines, bee balms). They need no landing areas since they hover while feeding.

Moths: Light-colored flowers that open at dusk (e.g., evening primroses).

Planting a Pollinator Garden

By creating a garden that attracts a range of pollinators, you can provide vital oases amidst seas of buildings and concrete. Kids can play a role in digging shallow pools and mud puddles and providing piles of twigs and animal hair for nesting materials.

1. Include a variety of flowers that bloom throughout the season(s) so there's always some food for pollinators.

2. Use as many native plants as possible. Local plants and pollinators are more likely to be adapted to one another. Although hybrid flowers are bred to look and/or smell nice for humans, they often don't provide much or accessible nectar or pollen.

3. Grow host plants that are known to attract certain pollinators, such as milkweed for monarch butterfly larvae.

4. Provide shallow pools and mud puddles that nourish butterflies and offer home-building materials for bees and wasps.

5. Include tall plants and trellised vines -- especially those with yellow blossoms -- to attract passing pollinators to your gardens. Sunflowers, sweet peas, nasturtiums, morning glories, and scarlet runner beans are good choices.

6. Provide nesting sites and materials. Leave cut plant stems exposed, turn flowerpots with bottom holes upside down, leave twigs and brush in small piles, and leave out pieces of string or other light fibers.

7. Avoid using pesticides and herbicides. By tolerating some pest damage and weeds, you'll promote a healthier garden for pollinators and your family. There are many organic choices for pest control that work well for home gardeners.

8. Turn part of your lawn into a wildflower meadow, or at least leave some wild areas nearby to provide habitat and food for pollinators.

Playing with Pumpkins

Pumpkin trivia; answers at bottom of page:

1. What percentage of a pumpkin is made up of water?

2. Each leaf on a pumpkin vine can make enough food to produce how many pounds of fruit?

3. How much can giant pumpkin varieties grow in one day?

4. How big was the pumpkin that holds the world record for giant pumpkins?

Kid-Inspired Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Instead of the traditional carved faces, your kids can try other ways of decorating pumpkins:

Use cookie cutters to trace and then paint or carve different shapes on your pumpkin, such as moons and stars.
Paint your pumpkin with water-based paints or use magic markers. Choose colors that stand out, such as red and white, for the best effect.
Choose a flat-sided pumpkin, set on its side, and use the stem as a nose for a goofy or scary painted face.
Cut vertical crescents around the sides of a pumpkin for a candle to shine through. The cuts don't have to go all the way through.
Try some squash-carving for a change. Etch a design into the skin of a dark green buttercup squash.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

When you carve jack-o'lanterns with your kids, save the seeds and help your children roast them for a tasty and nutritious snack. The kids will have fun guessing how many seeds their pumpkin contains -- and enjoy getting their hands messy in the process.

You'll need:

pumpkin
vegetable oil
salt
large spoons
colander and bowl
cookie sheets

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the top off a pumpkin and let your kids scoop out the pulp and seeds and spread them on a thick layer of newspapers. Kids can then search for the seeds and drop them into a bowl of water to separate them from the pulp, or rub them in a dish towel. They can rinse the seeds in a colander and put them in a clean bowl.

3. Measure a tablespoon or more of oil (depending on the amount of seeds) into a cup and let your kids sprinkle it over the seeds, along with some salt. Stir the seeds to coat them.

4. Spread the seeds on cookie sheets and bake them for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occaisionally, until they are dry and slightly brown. Enjoy!

Trivia Answers:
1. 90 percent
2. 4 pounds
3. as much as 25 pounds
4. 1,262 pounds (2001 record)

Healthy Snacking

Snacks don't have to be fat- and sugar-laden treats. Here are some suggestions for nutritious snacks that kids can prepare.

Did You Know?

1. Pears have more fiber than almost any other fruit. Unlike may other fruits, they ripen from the inside out, so eat them before they get soft on the outside or they'll be overripe.

2. A medium kiwi supplies more than the daily recommendation for vitamin C, along with folate, several antioxidants and phytochemicals that may help protect your body's cells from damage. Cut an unpeeled kiwi in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon.

3. Studies have shown that people who eat broccoli, along with other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale and cauliflower, have lower risk of cancers of the lung, stomach and colon (according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation). Serve the veggies raw with kids' favorite salad dressings or dips.

4. Blueberries, with their fiber, folic acid, vitamins A and C, and beneficial antioxidants, may help reduce risk of cancer and heart disease. Freeze them on a cookie sheet, then package them in containers or bags so your child can grab a handful and pop them in her mouth for a crunchy treat.

5. Prunes are one of the most versatile fruits besides being a source of fiber, vitamin A, and potassium. And they are sodium and fat free. Add them to cold and hot cereal and fruit salads, stuff them with peanut butter and an almond, include halved or pitted prunes in turkey or chicken salad for a fun and tasty pita sandwich filling.

6. In the 5-A-Day recommendation - to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day - one serving is equivalent to the following:

1 medium-sized fruit
3/4 cup (6 oz.) of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice (equal to the size of a can of tuna fish)
1/2 cup cooked, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit (smaller than a can of tuna fish)
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables (a handful of greens)
1/2 cup cooked dry peas or beans (smaller than a can of tuna fish)
1/4 cup dried fruit (you can hold one serving in the palm of your hand)

Nutritious Snacks for Kids to Prepare

Build-your-own pizzas. Top an English muffin with low-fat cheese and peppers, pineapple cubes, spinach, olives, zucchini, broccoli, or whatever else tickles their fancy. The more alternatives to fatty meat toppings, the better.

Fruit fondue. Cut up fruits, such as banana slices, strawberries, or pineapple. Use yogurt, low-fat caramel sauce, or low-fat chocolate syrup for dipping.

Fruit smoothies. Kids can make a different flavor every day with pre-cut fruit pieces (parent-prepared or frozen fruit) and their favorite juice.

Frozen yogurt sundaes. Top off a bowl with berries or sliced fresh fruit and maple syrup or low-fat chocolate sauce.

Making A Garden Tepee

There's nothing like sitting in a shady cave and snacking on green beans to help children make early and happy connections with the garden. A tepee big enough for one or many children will provide a wonderful secret spot and take advantage of the vertical growing space of your garden, a boon to gardeners with limited space.

1. Plan and plot. The size of your tepee depends on how much space you have, what time of year you are planting, and the type of crop you are growing. For example, you can make a huge bean tepee in the summer using 10-foot poles, with space for 10 kids inside. Or, you can make a small pea tepee in the spring or fall using six-foot poles with room for just one child.

Make sure to choose a spot with adequate sun for the crop you are growing. Once you've planned how big you want the base, draw the circle. Cut a string the length of the circle's diameter. Fold it in half to get the radius and cut it. Tie one end of one of the pieces of string to a stick and plant the stick in the center of the circle. Pull the string tight. Tie the other end to a stick and use it to draw a perfect circle in the soil.

2. Set up poles. Loosen the soil all around the circle to a depth of at least six inches and add compost or other amendments to enrich the soil. Decide how many poles you'll need to fit around the circle with 1 to 2 feet between poles.

Push the ends of the poles into the soil at the proper spacing. Pole ends should reach at least six inches into the soil. Pull the poles together at the top (you may need a ladder to reach) and tie with sturdy twine, wrapping them to make sure they're tight. To make your tepee grow more densely, you can weave strings around the poles and then tie vertical vining strings across those strings.

3. Raise green walls. Plant your seeds or seedlings all around the circle on the outside of the poles and vining strings. Leave a section between two poles unplanted to serve as the doorway. Keep plants watered and protected from birds as needed.

4. Decorate the interior! When the tepee is fully covered with vines you may want to cover the floor with mats, straw or even old carpet samples to keep the weeds down and make a comfy place to read or tell stories.

Climbing and Vining Plants to Try

Here are a few suggestions for plants that make fine "living walls." Be sure to choose plants that are hardy and will thrive in your climate, and that will grow quickly enough to cover your structure within the growing season.

Annuals

sweet peas, climbing varieties
morning glories
moonflowers
nasturtiums
pole beans - all varieties. Some good ones to try are scarlet runner beans, tricolor beans, yard-long beans
peas
gourds
Jack-Be-Little pumpkins

Perennials

(Use these for dressing permanent structures)

trumpet vine
honeysuckle
hops
black-eyed Susan vine
passionflower