Easy Kids Wash Tub Garden - teach Your Children to Go Green

( I used this for Wordless Wed - but this Chatty Kathy always has something to say! lol)

This project is fun and educational.

You will need
wash tub
bag of potting soil
time release fertilizer (Walmart osmocote free after $10 rebate)
rocks, gravel
hammer and nail
paint

Trip to the grocery store to get seeds!
That's right there are plenty of seeds you can
use. If you are on Food Stamps, this is a way
to get all the seeds you need for a bigger garden.

Set it up:
If your wash tub doesn't have a "rotten" bottom (holes in it)
turn it upside down and poke holes in the bottom with a hammer
and nails.

Let the kids paint the tub if so desired.

After it dries in the sun,
fill the bottom with a one inch layer of small
rocks, shells or gravel.

Dump in one bag of potting soil.

Sprinkle in 2 cups of time release fertilizer
and stir around with a wooden spoon
working the fertilizer into the top few inches of soil.

Now the real lesson begins!

Take the kids to the grocery store to gather seeds and plants for
the garden.

Easy choices:
spring onions with roots and tops on
dried elephant garlic bulb
(any dried garlic bulb)
Watermelon (not seedless)
honey dew
cantaloupe
any winter squash
pumpkins
dried beans
cherry tomatoes
any fresh tomatoes
fresh bell peppers
potatoes

Have a watermelon party, eat the melons,
plant some of the seeds in the washtub garden
Add a mixture of seeds so the kids can grow
more than one type plant.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy
til they sprout.

After the plants sprout, spread a thick layer of
any organic mulch (leaves, bark, gravel)
over the top of the tub garden, around the plants.
This will help you conserve water.

tip: don't stake tomatoes,
let them trail over the side.

What are you teaching your children with
this easy project?

They learn where food comes from.
They learn how to provide food for
their family.
Children naturally love gardening and will
eat what they grow with no fuss.
You are connecting them with the Green Life.
They learn that they can grow food anywhere,
a porch, patio or rooftop!
They learn to re-purpose - these
containers can be used for years!

If you don't have an old wash tub,
choose any old large container to re -purpose!

Take photos of your kids creating their garden
and share them on your blogs, spreading the knowledge
and inspiring others to Go Green!
Now you are teaching them to make a difference.