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Plastic Tub Gardens

1/23/2018

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So many kids that I work with tell me they want a garden but their parents say they just don’t have room for a garden. 

​You know what I say to them?  “WHATEVER!” Even a small old plastic tub like this one that was once used to keep toy dinosars in will work. 
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Putting a garden in a plastic tub like this is just a simple form of container gardening.  All you need is a small sunny spot to put the tub once it’s planted and add some extra water from time to time.  The best thing about this is it’s kid-sized so it’s not overwhelming for small hands. 

Turn the tub upside down and to put holes in the bottom. The holes can either be cut or drilled and should be about 4 inches apart! Grab a ruler and help your child learn how far 4 inches is.  (What else can you find in the yard that is 4 inches?  Yes, every opportunity in the garden creates another opportunity to learn some more.)​​

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Once the holes are made, fill the tub up with potting soil and add your new plants! It’s that easy. Just don’t put too many plants in there. For a container this size 2 or 3 small herbs or plants is the max.  The roots need room to spread out as they get bigger and you don’t want them to get tangled with each other. 
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Then just remember to water the tub enough to keep the soil moist or damp but never where it’s completely under water.  Anytime you plant in a container you have to keep an eye on them as they dry out faster than planting right into the dirt.  Water the soil when it starts to feel dry! ​

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ADULT HELPER NOTE:

​If you have a lid that goes with the container place it underneath and then stack two bricks on it before putting the container down. This will help show young gardeners how drainage works. ​

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Lisa Ely

Lisa Ely Gardens was a natural transition during a lifetime love of the outdoors. From television and media producer traveling the globe experiencing tastes and cultures around the world, to children's author, and now to creating open and visually stunning garden spaces for students and families to experience dynamic lessons in outdoor community classrooms, Lisa Ely is always developing something new, fun and exciting.
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Take a moment to Learn, Giggle and Grow with us. ​

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Pumpkin Fries - RECIPE

10/23/2017

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‘Tis the season for truck loads of pumpkins.
​

I know most kids tend to think about only carving pumpkins, but don’t forget pumpkins are a vegetable too!   They are totally edible! To prove my point we’re making
PUMPKIN FRIES!  ​

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The only problem with this yummy snack is there isn’t ever enough!
Pumpkin offers major health benefits that go beyond those of other superfoods that get so much more attention. Pumpkins are full of flavor and nutrition…a great way to help teach your kids healthy habits!
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​What’s Needed:
 
·        Fresh pumpkin
 
·        2 to 3 tablespoons of live oil
 
·        Salt (optional)

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​ ​​To make pumpkin fries, cut the pumpkin into sticks that look just like normal potato French fries.  We often grab a good chunk of off the bottom of our jack-o-lantern lid when we’re carving pumpkins!

The oven should be heated up to 450 degrees while you’re cutting the pumpkin.

Once the fries are cut, throw them into a plastic zipper bag or bowl and mix them up with olive oil and salt.  Place them onto a cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  Once they start turning brown, it’s time to pull the fries out of the oven and let them cool for a couple minutes.
 
As soon as my daughter took a bite she declared that her “taste buds were doing cartwheels!”  I’ll take that food review any day!
 
We’re also created the traditional pumpkin pies and mashed pumpkin but these fries are our favorite!
 
Nutritional note:  raw pumpkin only has 15 calories per ½ cup and is full of iron, zinc and fiber!
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Pumpkin Slime Recipe

10/23/2017

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Ingredient Check List: 
​1 Bottle of white glue
​1/2 cup baking soda
​1/2 cup contact solution
When you carve a pumpkin do you love playing with the gooey insides? Well here is a recipe for you! ​
Instructions on how to make are in the video! 

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Pencil Pool Noodle Garden Markers

8/17/2017

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I love pool noodles! They’re bright, colorful, and make great garden markers after a summer of playing with them in the pool!
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Since we’re all heading back to school I thought it would be fun to upcycle the noodles into pencil garden markers! Cute right?

What’s Needed:
•   Pool noodles
•   Serrated knife or small saw
•   Black Permanent marker
•   Silver and black duct tape
•   Sticks or stakes
 
Directions:
1.   Use a knife or small saw to cut the main pencil out of the pool noodle. Yellow is best but you can use any color.  I made mine about 2 feet but you can do any length you’d like. 
2.   Cut an eraser out of a red or different color noodle.  I usually cut it about 6 inches, but again it’s up to you. 
3.   Create the pencil lead with another color.  Use the knife or saw to cut it at an able to create a point.
4.   Attach the pieces together with duct tape.
5.   Use the marker to write the names of your plants on it and stick them on a stake and right into the ground.
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Tomato in a Bottle?

7/29/2017

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Tomatoes have glossy, thin, smooth skin. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are oval, some are tear-dropped shape, and a lot are the same size of a tennis ball.
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So how did I get one inside this bottle?  The bottle isn’t cut anywhere.  How did it get in there?   

​Hmmmm…if you can keep a secret I’ll show you what I did.


What’s Needed:
  • Plastic bottle
  • Budding tomato plant
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A bottle with a tomato inside is actually called an “Impossible Bottle.”  These bottles have things in them that are too big to have been put through the hole on top, like a ship or a tomato. (Ships are actually put into the bottles in pieces or special hinges, but tomatoes have to be grown in there.)
 
Use a plastic bottle that is light enough to put on the plant without weighing it down too much.  A water bottle works great.
When the tomato first starts to grow, gently insert it (still attached to the branch) through the bottle’s top.
 
The bottle then acts like a mini-greenhouse and actually helps the tomato ripen even faster. It holds in extra moisture and heats up at the same time. (If it gets too hot though your tomato could get scorched. If you have a shady spot to move the plant to you should.) Then, water your tomato plant as you normally do and just wait.
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The tomato will start to grow and actually turn red inside the bottle.  Once the tomato looks fully ripe, ask an adult helper to carefully snip it from the stem.  Screw on the cap and there you have it – a tomato in a bottle.  Go impress your friends and family! ​
Adult Helpers: Try this with fruits your yard too. Apples, pears or peaches are great.  Just make sure they have a long enough stem that would look extraordinary in a bottle. ​
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