Kids' Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out
whatplants need Find out about the plants you choose Find out what they like Then see to it that these needs are filled You wouldn’t send your little sister out into the cold without a coat or forget to feed the dog would you Plants tell you what they want in quiet ways They wilt or turn colors or the leaves curl up or shrivel You have to watch carefully If you do your plants will tell you how they feel Also if you’re planting two or more plants together make sure they like the same things A shade plant that needs a lot of water and one that needs dry soil and sun will never do well in the same container Get to know the plants you choose and plant them with their friends those who like the same conditions Roots need water and food just like people Some need more some need less Some can stand in water others need almost totally dry soil with an occasional dunk Plants will tell you if they are get ting enough not enough or too much water if you pay attention to them Pay attention Your plants depend on you They can’t run away The signs of too much and not enough water can look the same if you only look at the leaves If the leaves wilt or curl up check the soil Feel the soil every day or two Is it wet Is it dry Does the soil smell rotten If you need help finding out what is wrong ask a per son who works at a garden center You also have to be very careful when handling your plants Never hold a plant by the stem leaves or flowers Always hold it by the roots or by the pot A plant can be removed from the pot by tipping it on its side or slightly upside down and then knocking gently or pushing from the bottom and freeing it Then hold it by the roots when planting 2
WA OR ID NV UT CA MT WY ND SD NE MN IA CO KS AZ NM OK TX MO AR LA VT ME NY NH MA RI CT NJ DE MD PA VA NC Zones based on the following average minimum temperatures ZONE 1 ZONE 2 ZONE 3 ZONE 4 ZONE 5 ZONE 6 ZONE 7 ZONE 8 ZONE 9 ZONE 10 ZONE 11 Below 50 F 50 to 40 F 40 to 30 F 30 to 20 F 20 to 10 F 10 to 0 F 0 to 10 F 10 to 20 F 20 to 30 F 30 to 40 F Above 40 F WI MI IL IN OH WV KY TN AL GA MS SC FL Hawaii Alaska Something else to think about is how cold it gets in your area It won’t matter for indoor plants but if your containers will be left outside it’s good to know what Zone you’re in The USDA Zone Map tells you how cold different parts of the United States get Find where you are what Zone number you live in and choose plants that have your Zone number or a higher warmer number Here is the Zone Map Can you find where you are and what zone you’re in You also want to wait until after the last danger of frost before you plant certain plants Find out when your town’s frost-free date is and don’t plant anything delicate outside until after it is past 3
design stuff When planning a planting one way to design is with a color wheel Color wheels show the full range of colors and how they blend into one another Below are the three color concepts used when planning a garden They are big words but you will easily understand them especially when you see them Each of these will give a planting a different feel Try holding pots of plants next to each other to see how you like them Then plant whatever you like the best as long as the plants have the same needs Pick colors that make you feel good or that you really like whatkids H ere are a few things you don’t usually think about need sunscreen water and bug spray Pretty exciting stuff huh But they can be the difference between a great experience and a horrible one If you are working outside for any amount of time be sure to plan ahead Put on sunscreen bring water to drink and carry bug spray if needed Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it as my mother always says And she’s almost always right Monochromatic This is using all one color like using many different plants that are all white or all have red flowers Analogous This is using colors that are similar or blend into one another like pink lavender and purple Complementary This is using colors on opposite sides of the color wheel so the colors are very different like yellow and purple or green and red 4
must-have Maybe these are not things you must have but I always end up using them when I make garden projects whether with kids or for myself Keep them around so that when the spirit moves you you’re ready to garden supplies Peat pellets Silly that they should be indispensa ble but to me they are I use them in the bottoms of terrariums as seed starters and well you’ll see I use them a lot Order them online or buy a bunch next time you’re in a garden center and store them in a Ziploc bag They really come in handy Old pots Always save old pots of whatever size Use broken shards at the bottom of planters Use them whole as the makings of pot people See pages 27 30 Start plants in them any time Old pots are better than having to buy new Bagged potting soil I hate the word never and almost always try whatever I’m told never to do But this is one thing that I really never do Never dig soil out of the garden for new container plantings It just doesn’t work Whether germs in the dirt make the plants sick or the soil just isn’t good for planters it’s not worth the effort to start new plants in old soil Start right and you will be successful You’ll be glad you did Ok now you’re ready to garden On your mark get set go 5
