Garden People or Deck Planters

Ages two and up (one 30-45 minute session)

Objectives:

To create small sensory gardens toddlers can become involved with
To instill a sense of responsibility in older children
To learn the importance of water to plants

Materials:

(For garden person)

10” plastic terra cotta pot
One piece of 2x6x2 pressure treated board, 36” long
2 – 12” pieces of rebar
Cordless drill
Vinyl tablecloth
1 package, ¼ “ elastic waste band
Sewing machine
2 – 2 inch plastic pots
One 2” lag bolt and washer
Pre fertilized potting soil
Assorted plants to create the hair; colorful, smelly, and viney.

(For plain deck planters)

Large deck planters or pots
Pre fertilized potting soil
Assorted plants

Set up (for garden people):

Drill two holes in the bottom of the 2x6 to accommodate the rebar. It will be inserted at least 3 inches so it can be pushed into the ground to stand the people up. Cut the table cloth into three pieces: (1) 30”x42”, (2) 12”x12”.

Zigzag stitch the waste band to one side of each of the 12x12” pieces, and to both 30” ends of the 30 x 42. Fold the 12x12 pieces in half (right sides together) creating a tube, straight stitch making sure to leave the elastic end open to accommodate the 4”pot hands. Turn right side out (these are the arms). Cut the 30x42 inch piece in half lengthwise. Pin the arms to the top of one of the halves. Place the other half over the pinned half, right sides together; straight stitch both raw edges through all the thicknesses to create the dress (you should have elastic at the top and bottom of the dress).

Pre drill a hole in the center of the 2x6, on the top, to attach the pot to the board.

Part one (garden people):

Have the children draw a face on the terra cotta pot. Talk about the people you are creating. Talk about the responsibility of watering them. Talk about the importance of water to everything. Introduce the term transpiration. Continue to construct the people while talking about the importance of water. Push the rebar into the board and into the ground. Pull the dress over the board all the way to the ground. Insert the 4” pots into the ends of the arms. Attach the terra cotta pot to the top of the board using the lag bolt, washer and drill. Have the children fill the pot with potting soil. Point out the fertilizer in the soil. Discuss the difference between garden soil and potting soil. Have the children plant the hair. Water the plants in well. Assign watering responsibilities to each of the children for the summer.

(One ten inch pot should be watered thoroughly at least every 4 days when the weather is very dry and hot).

Part one (plain deck planters):

Fill pots with soil, plant plants and assign watering responsibilities. Have the same discussions about water and soil as for the garden people project.

Questions:

How much of our body is made of water?

How much of a plants body is made of water?

How do plant roots take up water?

Where does the water go when the plant takes it up?

Does it stay in the plant?

Where does it come out?

What does transpiration mean?

Do we transpire?

Ask what the difference is between perspiring and transpiring.

Some good plants to use for this garden are:

Eyeball plant (Spilanthes oleracea If tasted it will numb your gums and lips),Basil, Chives, Bread-Seed Poppy(Papaver sp. ;They rattle when they dry!), Scented Geraniums (come in a multitude of smells like roses, lemon, nutmeg…), Thistles (are prickly; some just enough to prove the point!), Mints (come in a multitude of scents like pineapple, chocolate, orange…), Nasturtiums (are very brightly colored and have a peppery taste), Rabbits foot grass (is soft on your face and to touch), Lambs ears (are fuzzy!).

Glossary:

Transpiration: the loss of water through the leaves of a plant.