Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Reuniting Kids w/ Nature - Bee Friendly Flower Patch


MATERIALS: 
Seeds (preferably native to your area),   ~5 square feet of garden or yard space, garden gloves, permission

TIME FRAME:
60 minutes + growing time


PROCEDURE:

  1. Once you’ve gotten permission to plant some seeds and have reviewed where they will be planted, begin by assessing the soil.  Wild flowers don’t require the same quality of soil as fruits and vegetables, but will do better with soil that is as weed and rock free as possible.  This might require some weeding or removal of rocks.
  2. Once your soil is ready, follow the instructions on the back of your seed packets and sow your seeds.
  3. Water gently and leave alone.
  4. Wild flowers have an amazing ability to take care of themselves!  If you live in a dry area, water them as necessary.  If you live in a moist area, they just might be able to take care of themselves!
  5. Once they have matured and are flowering, take a few minutes each day to observe all of the insects that are utilizing the beautiful space you have created for them!


REFLECTION:
How easy was it to decide where to sow the seeds for your flower patch?  How did you choose which flowers to plant?


TIDBITS: 
Bees absolutely love Russian Sage!  If you are able to plant Russian sage in your yard it will not only help the bees, but know that it is also drought tolerant!  Once it establishes itself, it requires very little attention and no artificial watering!

TIPS & IMAGININGS: 
Think ahead and plan a color themed flower plot!  You can also plan your plot by the height of the fully  mature flower!  Have fun with it, be creative and remember; wild flowers are just that...WILD!  Enjoy the diversity of them!

This activity is part of a series of low cost, hands on activities that can be used by anyone who has a passion for nature and who believes that a child's time spent in nature is not only important, but necessary.  Each activity was either created by me or gathered from a variety of sources.  You can find the complete list of all of the activities on my Nature Activities tab.

xoxo,
M

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