Gardening is a great hobby for getting the family outside. Start growing fruits and vegetables, and you’ll have your own fresh supply of food. It’s also a great opportunity to teach your kids about nature. Your little ones will be amazed when they watch seeds grow into mature vegetables ready to eat.
Gardening is also a labour of love. This is not a one-and-done scenario. Gardening takes patience and hard work. Maintaining a garden can be a great bonding exercise the whole family can get involved with. As your family maintains a garden, you may be surprised by what your kids take from this experience.
As each new season approaches, your family will have new challenges. You’ll need to dig up your garden and prepare it for a new crop of fruits and veggies. There are also the challenges of protecting your garden from the elements. Your plants will need protection from the extremes of hot and cold weather.
To set up your backyard for gardening, you’ll need the right tools and equipment for the job. You’ll need all the basics, like gardening gloves, shovels and pitchforks. You should also think about installing features like raised garden beds, water irrigation systems and timber sleepers.
GARDEN BED IDEAS FOR THE KIDS
It’s not always easy to get the kids involved with gardening. It can be hard to compete with distractions like video games and tv shows. Thankfully, we have plenty of garden bed ideas to keep your kids entertained.
While you’re choosing flowers and vegetables, try to pick more colourful options. Imagine you’re designing an interactive experience for your little ones. Kids love to look at vibrant colours that catch the eye. Anything with a pleasing aroma is also a bonus. Some plants like Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) can be pleasing to touch.
For edible options that grow fast, try planting radishes and strawberries. As long as you add the right amount of nutrition to the soil, you should see some amazing results in no time. Just make sure your soil is well-fertilised and watered regularly.
Growing herbs is another one of those quick and easy garden bed ideas. Herbs are generally more resilient and won’t die off so easily. Try planting herbs like rosemary, mint, and parsley. You can even show your kids how herbs are dried using this DIY Herb Drying Rack we showcased earlier.
SAVE SPACE WITH RAISED GARDEN BEDS
Raised garden beds are fantastic for utilising backyard space. They can be assembled along the sides of houses and fences. You’ll be surprised by how much you can grow in the narrow spaces of your yard. You can still plant an array of herbs, lettuce plants, and flowers in raised garden beds around your home.
Throughout the year, you’ll notice some backyard areas receive more sunlight than others. Our very own Raised Mobile Garden Planter is a great option that adapts to your gardening needs. These mobile garden beds can easily be moved around the backyard. It’s also an easy solution for moving plants from one garden bed to another.
If you’re looking to create a more kid-friendly garden setup, try one of our Kids Garden Planters. These colourful planters are only 45cm tall and easy for kids to access. Get your little ones to plant some herbs in a planter and make this a great opportunity to show them how plants grow.
RAISE SOME CHICKENS
For those with a little more space in the backyard, we highly recommend keeping your own pet chickens. Like any pet, having chickens is a great way to teach kids how to handle responsibility. Try giving your kids a daily chore like feeding the chickens, picking the eggs or cleaning out the Chicken Coop.
Having your own chickens can be a great way to be more eco-friendly with your garden. Chicken droppings can be used as fertiliser for your plants. You can feed your chickens food scraps from the kitchen to reduce waste. Chickens also love to feast on pests like caterpillars and beetles that usually eat your plants.
If you decide to get chickens, you’ll need a sturdy Chicken Coop to keep them safe and give them somewhere to sleep. Check out our guide to our Compre-hen-sive Guide to Chicken Coops to get started.
GET MORE GARDEN BED IDEAS TODAY
Ready for more garden bed ideas? We’ve got loads more tips and insights for gardening at home. Simply head to our DIY Projects or Blog page to find more resources on installing raised garden beds, painting a dog kennel or setting up a garden shed. For all your great garden bed ideas and more, make Pinnacle Hardware one of your first stops.
