little green fingers

How to make a plant pot bird feeder (with added bling)

They dress up in feathers, show off with mid air stunts and screech at the top of their voices in the early hours of every morning - so don't try and tell me birds aren't total divas.

And divas, as we know, like nothing more than a bit of show off bling which is why they'll love this bird feeder (probably). It might also pull in few extra visitors this weekend for you to record on the RSPB Great Garden Birdwatch (it only takes an hour and is a great way to get the kids watching, identifying and recording birds).

1. Ask the children to wash out some small garden pots (you could use plastic ones, but terracotta look a wee bit classier) - preferably outside in an old bucket or basin.

2. When they have dried, use acrylic paint to add colour to the rim of the pot.

3. Thread a long piece of ribbon twice through the hole at the base of the pot and round again, leaving plenty at both ends to tie it to a branch or bracket. If you're not a fan of 'bling' you could go for twine or string instead.

4. Make up your bird food mix: in a bowl add a block of lard to two cups of porridge oats, one of flour and one of bird seed mix.  Provided the lard is at room temperature, the children can mix it all together by squishing with their hands and you don't need to heat anything on the stove.

5. Squish the bird food mix into the pot until it reaches the top (you should have enough mix for 2-3 pots depending on their size).

6. For added decoration (and treats) you can also tie some clusters of berries to the ribbon above the pot - or even some painted pinecones.

7. Hang your feeder from a branch or wall bracket and wait for the birds to visit. This fat-based snack is particularly popular with tits, thrushes and wrens but they are often wary of new objects so may take a day before they start to visit this new feeder. Then again, they may simply shun it because it doesn't have enough sequins. Sheesh - divas!

 

How to fund a school or community garden

Rather than rabbiting on about some nonsense, I thought I'd actually write a useful post for once. I know - no-one is more shocked than me.  

One of the hardest parts of setting up a school or community garden is finding financial or hands on help to get things off the ground.  Thankfully, there are lots of places you can go for help - it's often just a matter of knowing where to start.

So I've put together a list of organisations that offer assistance.  If I've missed any, or you are aware of any others, do let me know in the comments section and I'll add them on.  This list also forms part of my 'Gardening Club - setting up on a shoestring' page

Sponsorship

You can try approaching local businesses, particularly nurseries, landscape suppliers or garden centres, to see if they can offer any sort of discount, sponsorship or donation to your gardening club.  It's worth clearing this with the school in advance and checking if they have any existing corporate sponsors who could be contacted.

If you are writing to any companies, make sure you call and check the correct person you should address your request to and be prepared to follow up with a phone call. Even better, you could ask children to write the letters as part of a KS2 literacy lesson.

It is also worth letting potential sponsors know how their support will be acknowledged - for example in a newsletter distributed to all parents - and that you will be contacting the local media to publicise the donation.

Hands on Help

Setting up an initial garden area can require a lot of hard work. There are various organisations that you can appeal to for volunteer help for this:

Business in the Community
http://www.bitc.org.uk
You can contact BITC office (Business in the Community) to see if your project can attract volunteers to help as part of Give & Gain Day.

Employee Volunteering
http://employeevolunteering.co.uk/service
Offers volunteering across the UK for a broad range of community, conservation or environmental causes - including work with schools.

The Conservation Volunteers 
http://www.tcv.org.uk/community/community-support
If you need extra help with a project you can give your local Conservation Volunteers office call and they can usually provide a team from their regular volunteers.

Community Payback
Community Payback is a punishment for offenders involving tough, physical work on projects that benefit the community and you can request a project for consideration usually via your local probation service. 

Grants

Awards For All
http://www.awardsforall.org.uk
A lottery grants scheme for grants from £300-£10,000 - for local organisations including schools.

B&Q Community Reuse
http://www.diy.com/corporate/community/waste-donation/
B&Q donates unsellable products and materials for re-use by local schools, other educational institutions and community groups, for the benefit of the local community and the environment. For more information contact your local store directly and speak to a duty manager.

BBC Children In Need
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1N4ddmFHns8VPKjyp3PMYwn/apply-for-a-grant
Provides grants to benefit disadvantaged children and young people - small grants up to £10k for one year only or large grants of over £10k/year for up to three years.

Biffaward
http://www.biffa-award.org/apply
Awards projects which help rebuild biodiversity and provide places for outdoor recreation (which can include such things as community gardens or woodland walks). The Small Grants Scheme (SGS) offers grants between £250 and £10,000; the Main Grant Scheme (MGS) offers grants between £10,000 and £50,000. Your project must also be based within 15 miles of a Biffa Operation and 10 miles of a licenced landfill site.

Big Lottery Fund Community Programme
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/index/funding-uk/communities/community_programmes.htm
Community based programmes to bring the local community together and improve the lives of the people that live within it.  There are particular categories for local communities and community wildlife.

DM Thomas Foundation for Young People
https://dmthomasfoundation.org/what-we-do/grants/
Funding is for the most effective projects helping disadvantaged young people in the UK and Ireland.

Ernest Cook Trust
http://www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk
Provides grants of between £100 and £4000 (in small grants category) for the education of young people about the environment and countryside. 

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
http://esmeefairbairn.org.uk
Aimed at improving the quality of life in the UK, including grants for environmental projects and those involving children and young people. 

Ford
http://www.ford.co.uk/experience-ford/AboutFord/CorporateSocialResponsibility/FordBritainTrust/HowToApply
Grants of up to £3000 for state schools and local groups in the areas near Ford plants in Essex (including East London), St Albans, Bridgend (South Wales), Southampton, Daventry, Manchester as well as initiatives in which Ford Motor Company Limited employees and retirees are involved

Funding Central
http://www.fundingcentral.org.uk
A free resource which lists thousands of funding and finance opportunities.

Grow Wild
https://www.growwilduk.com/content/community-project-funding
Grow Wild is awarding funding of £1,000 to £4,000 to community groups that want to bring people together to transform a communal space by sowing and growing UK native plants.

Postcode Trust
http://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/applying-for-a-grant.htm
Registered charities* in England, Scotland & Wales can apply from £500 - £20,000 (£10,000 in Wales) for projects including those supporting healthy living initiatives.

Sita Trust - England
http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/england
Funding awards up to £50,000 for not for profit organisations wishing to improve access for nature or leisure and recreation facilities for the benefit of the general public. Project must be within a three mile radius of a qualifying SITA UK waste processing location (check here).

Sita Trust - Scotland
http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/scotland Funding awards up to £50,000 for not for profit organisations in the areas of land reclamation, community recycling, public amenities and biodiversity. Project must be within a qualifying radius of a SITA waste processing location (check here).

Tesco Community Champions
http://www.tescoplc.com
Each Tesco UK store holds a community donation budget to help support with requests from their community for local fundraising events. To be considered for a donation please write to the Community Champion at your nearest store (Find your local store).

Tesco Local Community Grants
http://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/tescocommunityscheme/Pages/grants-tes
Administered by Groundwork, the money raised by Tesco customers in plastic bag tax will be used for grants to improve green spaces in communities across England, Wales and Scotland. Projects that will get the green light as a result of the funding will include creating pocket parks, sports facilities, woodland walks, school grounds, hospice grounds and community gardens.

The Conservation Foundation
http://www.conservationfoundation.co.uk
Offers yews to plant, refurbished tools (you can apply if in Cornwall, Devon, Edinburgh, Lincolnshire, London and Oxfordshire) and Wessex Watermark funding which can give a school, parish council or community organisation a grant of £100-£1500 for an environmental project located within the Wessex Water region - you can check if you are by viewing the map.

The National Gardens Scheme Elspeth Thomspon Bursary
http://www.ngs.org.uk/what-we-do/our-partners/elspeth-thompson-bursary.aspx
An annual bursary fund is available to provide financial assistance to amateur gardeners, either individuals or community groups, to enable them to create a garden or horticultural based project for the benefit of the community, or to enable them to acquire horticultural knowledge and skills and to develop and share their love of gardening. Grants would not normally exceed £5000.

Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
http://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk
Foundation provides grants for a range of projects addressing rural issues and urban deprivation with a focus on healthcare and disability, community support & education and the arts. 

Waitrose Community Matters
http://www.waitrose.com/branches/index.aspx
Waitrose's Community Matters initiative supports a wide range of charities and community groups. Each branch of Waitrose has £1,000 to share out between three local good causes each month.  The scheme will consider supporting welfare organisations, community groups, schools or local divisions of national charities.  To find out more about the scheme visit your local store, which you can find by clicking on the link above.

How to plant an alpine wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrows ROCK! I should say this more often (although perhaps not at social events - people are surprisingly bored by my wheelbarrow-based small talk). But in terms of children's gardening, they are pretty much the perfect container.  

Over the years I have planted various edible gardens in old wheelbarrows with kids.  If you choose things like parmex carrots, radishes, tom thumb lettuces and dwarf beans, one barrow can give a child space to grow half a dozen crops.  We also created a mobile herb garden from one in 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside which was perfect for housing thyme, chives, marjoram and sage.

And this summer, we made another type of garden - behold the alpine wheelbarrow!

Alpines are great for this sort of of planting because they are generally small and low growing so they won't swamp the space, plus many of them are relatively drought tolerant which means they're happy with the free-draining nature of the barrow.

And of course, being containerised plants, you can work with them all year round so there's nothing to stop you planting up a wheelbarrow in autumn too.

First you'll need a wheelbarrow. You can ask around in case someone has an old one going begging, or try posting up a message on Freecycle.

It'll need drainage holes adding, which is easily done by just knocking through a very large nail every 10-15cm to puncture the base.

Now get the children to give it a good brush out before filling it with potting compost to within 5cm of the top.  

Let them place out the alpines until they are happy with the look and then they can carefully take them out of their pots, dig a planting hole with hands or a trowel, place in the plant and firm the compost back around them.

I like to top dress the wheelbarrow with gravel - this keeps the compost from splattering the leaves when you're watering or it rains, and also makes the plants themselves stand out.

We also added some larger stones and various decorations because... well, why not?

In the summer this garden offers a huge advantage because, if you're going away for a few days and you're worried about the barrow during out, you can wheel it into the shade. And all year round its mobile nature means you can position your garden wherever you want, whenever you want,  However be warned: it will be heavy so this is best left to grown ups - although obviously under the direction of your head gardener.

30 Days Wild

I run my life very much like a 1970s Japanese car plant.  Yes - I am a true believer in the Just-In-Time methodology.  

As much as I'd like to think this has made me incredibly productive, the real result is a lot of running; sometimes to catch a train or even a plane and on a daily basis to make it to the children's school on time.

And sadly this whole Just-In-Time approach doesn't really work - as three missed flights and several toe-tapping teachers prove.

So it should be no surprise that I have signed up to 30 Days Wild this morning - the day it begins.

If you aren't aware, this is an initiative by the Wildlife Trusts to get people 'doing something wild' every day for the 30 days of June.  And, before you have visions of all night partying in Ibiza they are actually asking people to get outside and experience nature (although I guess partying all night - outside - might still count).

It's a simple idea - which I like - so I'm going to try to do this with the kids all month.  To be fair, at this time of year, the children are usually outside doing something 'wild' but this is an added motivation to make sure it happens, come rain or shine.

If you want to join in, there are a few ideas on this site of activities you could try - and lots more if you have 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside.  For starters how about:

Creating flower fairies

Making a mud pie kitchen

Planting a lettuce ball

Setting up a moonlight garden

Racing snails

Making fairy houses

Panting a climbing bean wigwam

Making nature walk booklets

Setting up a log walkway

Making a mini wildlife pond

Making outdoor bunting

Picture: 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside (Kyle Books/Will Heap)

There are a few things in life with which I can find no fault: champagne, Betty's Afternoon Tea Room Blend, Tunnock's Caramel Wafers and, of course, bunting.

Of course, the only really appropriate thing on this list for kids is the bunting* which is why I made sure to include a version in my last book.

I love this for two reasons - first because it's BUNTING (naturally) and second because it's a great way to recycle plastic bags (but if you are still overloaded with the things, don't forget they are also ideal to stuff homemade scarecrows).

Oh - and also, it lasts for ages (unlike the outdoor bunting made from oil cloth and sold for extortionate amounts of money by floral sounding brands which just goes mouldy after a year…. not that I'm bitter or anything).

To begin, get the children to decide where they want their bunting to hang and cut a ribbon (or string - but ribbon looks much nicer) long enough to stretch between the two points with a little extra length to let you tie it up at either end.

Next the children need to make a large triangle on a piece of card using pencils and a ruler. If they then cut this out, they'll have a template which they can lay on a colourful plastic bag (or cellophane) before drawing round it.

When they've cut out these triangles, they just need to fasten them at the top to the ribbon with staples.  If they are using string, they can bend the top of the flag over the string line and staple the turnover in place.

And if they only have quite pale or white bags, they could cut these into triangles and then decorate with coloured permanent markers instead.

Whatever they decide, you will have bunting, so all will be well with the world.  And yes, bunting is that powerful.

*NO they are not allowed near my Tunnock's - a fact I've made clear on several occasions

Collecting flower seeds with children

 
Photo credit: Will Heap/Kyle Books (Image from 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside)

Seed collecting is perfect for the lazy gardener.  Whenever someone looks sniffily at your bolted lettuces or wonders why you haven't been deadheading the flowers, you just have to say in lofty tones, "oh, I'm going to be collecting those seeds of course".

It is also a great garden activity for children so I made sure to include it in 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside.  They can begin by creating their own homemade seed packets by decorating plain envelopes.  When I do this activity with pre-school gardening club, the children tend to make fingerprint flowers which are simple but look really effective.  Older children can get a little more artistic with paints or coloured pencils.

Also, very importantly, they need to include the name of the flower and some growing instructions (easy to look up if you're not sure).

Some of the best seeds to collect are from annual plants. Because they only live a year, they have lots of seeds they want to scatter.  if you have plants like cornflowers (Centaura cyanus), pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis), poached egg plant (Limanthes douglasii) and nasturtiums, just leave the old flowers on after they have finished booking and wait unto the seeds are ready to be released.

I also like to leave the odd lettuce and radish to bolt as it's good for children to understand vegetables have flowers too and that this is how they can produce more seed.

The easiest way to check if they are ready to be harvested is by putting a paper bag over the seedhead and then shaking it inside the bag - if it releases its seeds, they're ready for collecting.

Next, cut off the seedheads into a labelled paper bag (use a different one for each type), and then, when you've finished collecting, carefully put the seeds into the correct packets.

One tip: some plant seeds are poisonous if eaten (although not those I've listed here) so to be safe I ask the children to follow the simple rule - never put any in your mouth and always wash your hands after handling seeds. 

Play the autumn treasure memory game

Autumn is a generous season.  Winter is dramatic, spring enthusiastic and summer's just a little bit showy, but autumn is all about the giving.  One minute it's fresh apples and blackberries, the next it's pinecones and conkers.

So when the children are in the garden or out on a walk, make the most of it by getting them to play the autumn treasure memory game (from 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside).

First they need to pick up as many different autumn 'gifts' as they can - an assortment of coloured leaves, fruit, seedheads, nuts.  You can even hold a competition to see who can find the largest variety.

When you've gathered together your treasures (around 15-20 works well) you can play the memory game.

Lay everything on an outdoor table, tray or a clear space on the ground. Everyone has a minute to remember all they can before the whole lot is covered (you can use an old tea towel for this, or, if you're out on a walk, someone's jacket).

The person holding the cloth then removes an item without the others seeing, before revealing the treasures again.  The first person to spot what's missing wins - and then it's their turn to cover everything up and remove another treasure. 

One word of warning - some berries can be poisonous so get the kids to wash their hands after picking them up - and make sure very young children have an adult with them when looking for autumn treasures.

Tomorrow...  collect flower seeds.

How to plant a bulb bucket

"There's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, dear Liza, there's a hole in my bucket. dear, Liza, a hole.

"Well plant it, dear Henry. And please stop repeating yourself."

OK, so the original song might have been slightly different, but my version makes a lot more sense.

If you have a bucket with a hole or a slit, it may not be great at carrying water, but it's perfect for planting bulbs in the autumn. In fact you will need to make a few more holes (with a drill for plastic or a hammer and nail for metal - and, obviously, done by an adult). You can explain to the children that this will stop the compost getting too soggy because plants need to have air in the soil as well as water.

As they will have to wait a very long time to see their flowers, and given that kids aren't known for their patience, it can be a good idea to decorate the bucket for some instant colour.  We used acrylic paint pens on ours (but then, as you probably know, I use acrylic paint pens on almost anything.  Some days our cat even looks at me nervously... and keeps walking).

Next, the children can fill the bottom of the bucket with a shallow layer of stones or pebbles (this stops the holes getting bunged up) and then add some potting compost, firming it down as they go.

You can use different types of bulbs in a single bucket, just remember to leave some space between them and plant each bulb to the depth of three times its height.

You can even have more than one layer of bulbs. For example, large alliums, followed by hyacinths, small daffodils and then crocus near the top.

Make sure the children keep their bucket well watered if there hasn't been much rain. They can check if is needs watering by pushing their finger in about 5cm.  If the soil is dry there, it needs a drink.

This project is from 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside.

Tomorrow... the autumn treasure memory game.

 

Making autumn crowns

It's half term next week.  This comes as something of a shock. I mean I could swear the kids only went back to school about three days ago. Still, I have rechecked the calendar many times and I can confirm IT IS TRUE!

So, for those of you who may be similarly surprised to find small people kicking around the house next week I thought I would share some of my autumnal ideas from 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside over the following few days.

First up are autumn crowns.

For younger children it's easiest to make these using a long strip of card which you can staple or tape so it fits around their head.  Next put a thick piece of double sided sticky tape around the outer surface.

They can then go outside and begin making the crown by attaching leaves to it, carefully pulling back the sticky tape backing as they go. If the children overlap the leaves slightly they'll find it covers up more of the card.

For older children, or if you are out and about with no card, or if you simply have mild heart palpatations at the cost of double sided sticky tape, you can make the crown base using natural material.  First of all find some bendy twigs - young slender new growth works well and willow is ideal.  If you plait three lengths, about 50cm long, you can then bend this into a circular shape and weave the ends into each other to stop it unravelling. Then just add a few more lengths, woven in and out, to strengthen the structure.

The children can decorate the crown with leaves by slipping the leaf stalks between the twigs which will hold them firm. They can even add seedheads or berries for a crown with added 'bling'.

Tomorrow... how to make a wind clunk.

Pre-school gardening club: how to be a market trader

Last week at pre-school gardening club we were channelling Pete Beale.  I am slightly embarrassed to admit that this was not Peter Beales - world famous rose grower and horticulturalist.  No - rather it was Pete Beale - Eastenders greengrocer and market trader circa 1985.

You see, having done our usual picking and pulling of veg, fruit and even herbs from the pre-school garden, I spotted a toy wooden market stall sitting in the corridor.  So instead of sharing our harvest between the children to take home as usual, we filled the trays and pots full of tomatoes, perpetual spinach, beetroot, rosemary, curry plant, raspberries and carrots.

I then fetched a few baskets plus the ubiquitous plastic toy till, and the children proceeded to spend the rest of the session flogging each other the same produce again and again (except the raspberries which soon turned out to be a little delicate to withstand the constant handling... and treading).

I will admit the pricing was somewhat erratic - five pounds for a small carrot is a bit steep in anyone's books - but in general it was the perfect way to get the children identifying and touching lots of different garden produce.  What's more they even learnt a few choice market trader phrases - with added East End accent - which was lovely jubbly.