homegrown – Page 6 – Tracie's Treasures

Hand Picked Flower Printing

Posted on 5th Feb 202111th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

While we were all out it the garden, the Little Seedlings kept trying to pick the pretty flowers. We made it into an activity by making some amazing flower prints on fabric and paper. First we got some cotton napkins, placed the flowers on one side and folded the napkin in half to cover the flowers. We all had fun bashing the napkin with a rolling pin.

After a few minutes, we opened up the napkin and carefully peeled off the squidgy flowers. The patterns made by the flowers were very pretty and printed on both sides of the napkin like a butterfly.

The children enjoyed this activity and extended it by mixing paints to make different colours, shades, prints.

family, Garden Classroom

Garden Challenge 2021

Posted on 1st Feb 20218th Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

We are three generations of gardeners starting a gardening challenge to see the difference in the ways we garden and grow!

We will all have the same seeds and grow them in our own ways. We will give regular updates and are looking forward to sharing the results. Follow the Garden Challenge with our hashtag GardenChallenge2021!

Garden Classroom

Our Garden Plans – Rainbow Colours!

Posted on 18th Jan 20212nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

This year the theme in our ever-changing garden will be a rainbow explosion of colours to represent our hard-working Key Workers. So far we have looked through gardening magazines to find various plants we could use. All the children have chosen their favourite colours and plants, which we will incorporate within the two gardens.

Our BIG project will be to extend our pond area for all our wildlife. Our main pond is in a raised bed but the wildlife need more space so we’re looking to extend it across the bed. The children have asked for a water feature so this might make an appearance.

Over the last couple of years we have had so much success with our raised beds, however we need to make these changes. We are always finding new and exciting ways to garden. We’ll also be putting up the new greenhouse and VegTrugs.

We will keep you posted on the projects, so keep returning to our website to find out how its all gone throughout the seasons.

Seedlings

Harvesting Our Crops

Posted on 14th Aug 202012th Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

Today Ivor, Martha and Tracie went on a vegetable hunt to see what they could make for tea. Ivor and Martha both found some onions to pull out and then Ivor found some of the rainbow carrots were ready to munch on.

They didn’t quite make the kitchen because we washed them with the outdoor tap and ate them all up! Martha said they were very crunchy and juicy. Ivor had too much in his mouth to answer.

Garden Classroom, rangers

Chloe’s Cauliflower

Posted on 12th Jul 20202nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

This cute little cauliflower has been grown from seed by Chloe. Chloe loves to help us in the garden and best of all, she loves looking for all the wonderful insects and making them a home.

I have set Chloe a challenge this summer, to try the cauliflower when it’s ready!

Garden Classroom, wanderers

Baby Pumpkin

Posted on 12th Jul 20202nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

Back in early spring the Wonderful Wanderers sowed some pumpkin seeds, which they collected from last year’s crop. The winner of the first to grow goes to Martha, who’s pumpkin is now the size of an egg.

We are looking forward to a bumper crop so that in October we can carve them for Halloween. Tracie will try and persuade everyone to taste a homemade pumpkin pie.

Watch this space to see how we do and find out if anyone was brave enough to try the pie!

Garden Classroom, Seedlings

Niamh’s Sunflower

Posted on 12th Jul 20202nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

This year Niamh won the fastest growing sunflower challenge. It has bloomed just in time for her 2nd birthday!

Garden Classroom, Seedlings

July in the Garden

Posted on 12th Jul 20202nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

During the lockdown, the key worker children have been working extra hard helping Tracie in the garden.

We have grown Beetroot, Cucumbers, Chillies, Mange-tout, Peppers, Tomatoes, Pumpkins, Lettuce, Onions, Cauliflowers, Cabbage, Peas, Garlic, Turmeric, Ginger, Strawberries, Raspberries, Currents, Apples, Cherries, Kiwi and lots of different herbs.

Our new vegetable this year is Cucamelons. These are a cute, little fruit with bags of personality. Originating from Mexico, Cucamelons produce lots of fruit throughout the Summer that taste like cucumber and lime. They are grape size, look like baby watermelons and are supposed to be easy to grow. Watch this space for updates on how we get on growing them.

Garden Classroom, Seedlings, wanderers

Homemade Plant Labels

Posted on 27th Mar 202012th Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

We have been looking on the internet for labels for our plants. We didn’t like the ones we saw so Tracie decided to make some. First she asked her brother, Jonathan to slice up a big log. Then Tracie sanded them all smooth so they wouldn’t give anyone splinters, and so she could paint on them.

Once they were ready for painting, we all sat around the table and decided which ones we needed making first.

Ivor wanted the tomato one, Martha the Cucumber, Fearne wanted Lavender, Poppy the Garlic and Tracie thought a salad bowl would be good for the raised bed that has everything we love eating as a salad.

As soon as the paint had dried Tracie took them outside and sprayed them all with varnish to protect them from rain. They all looked very good and we cant wait to make more.

Garden Classroom, Seedlings

A Ray of Sunshine

Posted on 22nd Nov 20192nd Feb 2021 by Tracie Dowling

Back in early spring, all the children sowed sunflower seeds. Most of them grew as tall as five feet! Eliza got a bit impatient waiting so long for her’s to grow and nothing happened! Everyone else’s sunflowers had grown and died, the garden started to look dull until…

This little gem made an appearance!