little green fingers

Home improvements, slipper orchids and scavenger hunts

Home improvement - there's a funny phrase.  Not funny 'ha, ha', more funny 'painful'.  Because whatever guise this so-called 'home improvement' takes it always results, in the short time anyway, in a home diminishment.

I am very home diminished at the moment.  My desire to have two rooms knocked into one large room has resulted, so far, in a lack of any rooms at all.  But you see, I thought this through.  "June", I said.  "Let's do it in June. The weather will be lovely.  We can practically live outside."

HAHAHAHAHAHA. How the weather gods have laughed at that one.

Still, with the entire family holed up in the playroom for the rest of this month, I need the children to live outside. Admittedly, I'm not selling it quite like that.  No, I'm far more devious.  I used a scavenger hunt.

I cannot recommend it enough.  Take one piece of paper; fIll it with a dozen or so items to find and collect in the garden; give all children in sight a container of some description to collect their treasures; put on the kettle and shut the door.

As you will see from the photo, I'm starting with the easy stuff. If you want some inspiration try any of these you have in the garden:

Ladybird, oak leaf, dandelion seed, caterpillar, poppy, feather, ant, fern frond, rose petal, snail, bark, moss, worm, pine needle, pebble, holly leaf, daisy, purple leaf, walnut shell, lavender, mint leaf, fluffy clematis seedhead

But as the build progresses and my desperation for a room unsullied by children increases, expect some harder versions. I'm thinking four-leaf-clovers, parakeet feathers and slipper orchids.  Possibly, if we run into July, I might just add the fountain of youth, Lord Lucan and Shergar.  I mean you wouldn't want to make it too easy, would you?

 

Garden visit: Knebworth House

Despite living only half an hour a way, my knowledge of Knebworth is slightly limited. In fact, it could be summed up as "is that where they have loud shouty bands outside?" (I am, as you can see, a loss to the music journalism profession).

In fact, there are 25 acres of garden, but as a parent you may never get to see them. This is down to a chronic lack of planning in the site layout. Picture this: you have driven in the car for some way, then sat in a queue to enter the grounds, the children are bored and restive when suddenly, on your right, emerges a huge adventure playground. Now imagine how easy it is persuade everyone that what they really want to do is keep driving until you reach some gardens. You see the problem?

I would recommend either blindfolds or a well timed cry of "Was that a pack of giant jelly babies I just saw running through the trees on your left?". As it was, I had to rely on food-related bribery and a promise of returning to 'Fort Knebworth' later on (it was a slow day on the creativity front when they named that one).

The gardens themselves are not the most spectacular and seem a little disjointed but there was still enough to keep the kids occupied for at least an hour or two.

Best bits for kids

Dino trail - 72 life sized dinosaurs are lurking in the woods. This was fascinating for the children but a little disturbing for their mother who still remembered hiding behind her cinema seat during Jurassic Park. However, there's nothing so effective as a blousy backdrop of Rhododendrons to calm the nerves.

Maze - A cliche, yes, but still popular. It was quite a low hedge and relatively uncomplicated so probably best for smaller children.

Carvings - Never have I seen so many weird carvings in one place. Fairy castles, totem poles, crocodiles, warriors - there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their creation or placement but the children loved them.  I was just surprised there was no spotter's sheet for the kids to mark off their finds.

Mound - Don't underestimate the power of a mound - especially to people living so close to the fens. We are easily pleased...

Pollarded Lime Alleys - These apparently exuded a call only audible to children under 8 - "That's right, come to us and run away from that woman they call mother And, yes, screaming too. Screaming would be good".

But just remember, when questioned about their day afterwards, the children will say only this - "We went to Knebworth Fort and ate ice creams".