Smarty Plants | Brand
Smarty Plants
Reviews
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25.01.2022 This is a lovely idea for young kids. A miniature garden in a foam vegie box. Combines gardening and some artistic fun! Do you remember your first garden? When I was 6, I made a little garden in a box that was supposed to be a playground for snails. I obviously wasn't that bright as a kid. The snails couldn't use the slide and they ate all the herbs! :)
25.01.2022 I'm off to Garden Week in Perth on Sunday to give a talk on the HMA stage about 'Gardening with Kids' and I even have some seedlings to give away! Bring the kids down; there's heaps for them to do and kids under 16 are FREE! www.gardenweek.com.au
25.01.2022 Get the kids crafting over the holidays with all the beautiful autumn leaves laying on the ground. The bonus is that your garden will get a bit of a clean up at the same time! I also wanted to post about that old trick of ironing leaves between two layers of waxed paper to form a stained glass window effect but I don't think it's available at the supermarkets any more. Greaseproof paper just doesn't stick together. I would love to know if anyone knows whether waxed paper is still around.
23.01.2022 Recycle an old tyre into a dinosaur garden! Kids just fill it with premium potting mix, add in a few prehistoric ferns and well placed rocks and then spread some coir or moss over the soil. At least having fun in the garden isn't extinct. :)
23.01.2022 Looking for a quick activity for the kids in the garden? Get them to grow a mini-vegie patch in a bag! So easy and a great reason to visit the local garden centre for a wander around. Because the plants are grown straight into the potting mix bag, it's super simple. Even though I have a garden, I often plant coriander seeds straight into the bag or you can grow 'pasture' for the chooks or cat grass for the pets. Or, just get the kids to choose their favourite leafy vegies & herbs like I've done below. Go to the Smarty Plants site to find out how. http://smartyplants.com.au/2012/09/gardening-in-a-bag/
22.01.2022 I had a bit of phone taking some photos for the newest post on my blog on the Smarty Plants. I've never been so excited about Smurfs or broccoli! Who would have thought there were so many fun things you can do with broccoli besides eat it? Have you got any other ideas that I can add on? Check out my post: http://smartyplants.com.au//10/take-broccoli-off-the-table/
22.01.2022 I've been playing with my food again! Check out the cauliflower sheep on the Smarty Plants website. It's a fun activity for kids too. http://smartyplants.com.au/2013/12/fun-food/
20.01.2022 Here's a terrific kids' garden on the other side of the world. It's the Cleveland Botanic Garden and they've had a Lego Master build wonderful garden sculptures of hummingbirds, lawnmowers and butterflies out of Lego. These are quite large sculptures but perhaps your kids could build mini-sculptures from Lego for your garden. Take a look at the website! http://www.cbgarden.org/nature-connects.aspx
20.01.2022 Planning a summer garden party for your kids over the holidays? Here are some wonderful ideas. Top left are balloons tied like flowers and right is a beautiful table laid with placemats made from synthetic grass and brightly coloured plates and napkins. And don't forget some fun gardening activities. These potted wellies are a great since the young party-goers have probably grown out of their old ones anyway (just don't forget to drill holes in the bottom for drainage).
20.01.2022 We had a bit of fun over the weekend carving some great Halloween creatures! Capsicums are great for younger kids as they are easy to cut into, even with a plastic knife. We did have more capsicums but they got eaten before we could make them into crazy faces.
19.01.2022 Finally, a garden snail that is useful! I love this little bit of pavement art. I think there would be some clever kids out there who could have a go at drawing something like this on their garden path.
18.01.2022 The Australian Garden Show is on next week in Sydney and there are heaps of things for kids to do. I'll be there on Thursday, 4th September, presenting on the HMA stage and have some really fun ideas to get kids into the garden. The kids can get busy in aMaze, an interactive area where they can try their hand at potting, composting and even yoga. What fun! Kids under 15 are free!... http://australiangardenshowsydney.com.au/
16.01.2022 We got a little mention in the Gardening Australia magazine that has come out today! That is very exciting!
16.01.2022 Are you due to replace the kids' bike helmets? Here's a great way to recycle them.
16.01.2022 Do you have a Smarty Plants in your family?? Gardening Australia Magazine is calling for entries for the Young Gardener of the Year. Entries close on 4th September so there's still plenty of time. Last year's entrant was only 5 years old! Don't miss out. Find our more information here: http://www.gardeningaustralia.com.au/
15.01.2022 Happy Easter everyone! The Easter bunny must have known something because now is a great time to plant carrots.
15.01.2022 Check out this amazing little courtyard garden that I stumbled across the other week. It's a fun little fairy garden in the front courtyard of a house. Who do you think is having more fun? The kids or the parents. Can you spot the the Smurfkini?
15.01.2022 It's been such a busy week for Smarty Plants. We're finally starting to find our way onto Bunnings shelves across the country. We're not in every state yet but it won't be long. By mid-April, we will be truly national which will hopefully make it easy for parent and teachers to get their kids' growing. Check out what's been going on at our blog. http://smartyplants.com.au/2013/03/finally-were-national/
14.01.2022 Here's a great spring activity for the kids! It's a grass house made of sponges. Just soak the sponges, scatter on wheat seed (just like you feed the chooks), keep a little bit of water in the dish at the bottom so the sponges stay moist and occasionally spray them with a spray bottle. A week or two after the seed has germinated, a tiny bit of liquid fertiliser in the water will help as well. The house can be mown with scissors every now and then too! It's a great time to use the sponges to demonstrate osmosis to older primary school kids.
14.01.2022 Well, this is mind boggling. Just push uncooked spaghetti through pieces of hot dog, boil till cooked and serve with pasta sauce. The kids will love it. They'd be fun to eat. What would you call them though?
14.01.2022 Teachers are the best gardeners!
13.01.2022 Such a clever idea. Hose it down and it's a whole blank canvas again!
11.01.2022 Finally our days are starting to get longer again. We had our Winter Solstice a few days ago which meant it was the shortest day of the year. No wonder it's so hard to wake up in the mornings.
11.01.2022 The Melbourne Flower and Garden Show starts tomorrow! Don't miss it and take the kids as they will love all the activities at The Children's Garden. They might even see some Smarty Plants signs lurking in the gardens. Our advice? Buy your tickets online as it saves waiting in the queues when you get there. Have fun at the Show! http://www.melbflowershow.com.au
11.01.2022 Teachers, are you looking for some ideas to integrate gardening into the curriculum? Check out these lesson plans on our website. http://smartyplants.com.au/cate/teachers-blog/lesson-plans/
10.01.2022 I call these Egg-chanted Mushrooms. They are so pretty and such an easy meal to make with toddlers. They taste great too. Find out how on our website! http://smartyplants.com.au/2012/09/egg-mushrooms/
10.01.2022 These are fantastic fun to make with kids. Mouse-Carrot-Ears! They're a great excuse to find some old Mickey Mouse Club shows and sing that song. You know the one. 'Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O.....' http://smartyplants.com.au/2013/06/mouse-carrot-ears/
08.01.2022 I love this way of getting kids active indoors or outside. It's quick to set up and provides a real challenge. All that's needed is a big ball of wool!
07.01.2022 If the broccoli was made into trees and the chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs, would the kids eat them then?
06.01.2022 I just love this idea! It would work over pots, a tub or the garden and would make starting seeds in this cold weather a lot easier. At this time of year try it with coriander seed. The kids will see them germinate in just a matter of days, especially with the warmth from an umbrella greenhouse.
06.01.2022 It's official. Garden gnomes are making a comeback. You can finally bring them out from the garden shed and let them feel the warmth of the sun on their faces without worrying about what the neighbours think. As with all good things from our childhood, everything old is new again!
05.01.2022 Here's a clever seed storage idea. You will have organised seeds and fresh breath too! :)
04.01.2022 Have you got a lot of cherry tomatoes on your bushes at the moment? Here's a great way to use them. It's delicious and so easy that the kids can help you make it. I sometimes throw on other things as well such as Italian sausage or feta. Yum scrum! http://smartyplants.com.au/2012/09/cherry-tomato-tart/
02.01.2022 These are our signs at the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show this year. They are right at the entrance to the Fairy Garden which is amazing! Let's hope that next year we can have a full display there.
02.01.2022 This idea is inspired! It's a hothouse made from plastic bottles! The bottoms are cut off so that they all stack together with a wire up the centre and they are attached to a timber frame. Such a clever recycling idea and a much cheaper way for a school to build a hothouse than having to purchase hothouse plastic (it's expensive!). This would suit the Australian climate really well as the amount of airflow can easily be adjusted to suit the seasons.
01.01.2022 Gardening doesn't have to be expensive at all. Check out this great idea. The two things to remember are to poke drainage holes in the bottom of the bottles and to use a really good quality premium potting mix. It's a great after school project for the kids. Plant up rocket, lettuce, small herbs, marigolds, English spinach or any other smaller growing vegetables.
01.01.2022 VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS + BRIGHT POTS + POTTING MIX = FUN + SHARING + FRIENDS Finally, the maths that I learnt at school makes sense ; )
