Smarty Plants - Plants for Kids
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Tripods

The word ‘tripod’ means three (tri) legs (pod).  A tripod is a very strong shape even though it is only joined at one point right at the top.  Can you think of some things that are built using a tripod shape?  What about a tripod to hold a camera or perhaps a three legged stool? […]

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Trellises and Climbing Frames

TRELLISES AND CLIMBING FRAMES Some plants just love to climb high so that their leaves and stems can soak up the sun from all directions.  It also helps to keep their vegetables off the ground so that they stay clean and out of the reach of crawling insects.  Vegetables that love to climb include beans, […]

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Garden Stakes

Some vegetables such as tomatoes, chillies and capsicum don’t climb on their own but they do grow very tall.  The problem is that they produce so much fruit that their stems aren’t strong enough to hold themselves up and they fall over or break in the wind. Gardeners give these plants a helping hand by […]

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Make a Mini Hothouse

A mini hothouse is a great way to get your vegetable or flower seedlings off to a good start. They will stay nice and warm to help them germinate.  When the seeds have sprouted and two healthy leaves have formed, remove the drink bottle to allow the seedling to grow larger and stronger.  When the seedling is around 8cm […]

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Building a Raised Garden Bed

A raised garden bed is one that has had the sides built up out of timber, straw or even metal and it can be between 30cm and 90cm high. It’s a terrific way to grow a vegetable garden in a difficult spot such as on clay soil that is hard to dig or on concrete. […]

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Straw Bale No-dig Garden

A straw-bale garden made from pea straw is just about the easiest and cheapest raised garden bed to build and the best thing about it is that, over time, the straw on the outside starts to rot down and eventually the whole thing can be composted and used on the rest of the garden.  Absolutely nothing is wasted! Although […]

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Protect Seedlings with a Cloche

A cloche is a cover that protects your seedlings from very cold weather in in winter or early spring. Find out more in our Garden Glossary. There are lots of ways that you can make a cloche at home or at school to protect your plants from the cold weather at night.  Here are just […]

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Have a dig around!

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The Blog!

  • Gardening’s not rocket science!

    Years ago, when our parents planted out their vegie patches, they turned over the soil, mixed some sheep manure through,...

    08 Dec,13
  • Have fun with your food!

    Just because I’m a grown up doesn’t mean that I can’t play with my food! The other day, I became...

    05 Dec,13
  • Little Halloween Pumpkin Heads

    Did you manage to grow some pumpkins for Halloween this year?  Don’t worry if you didn’t as they’re still available...

    28 Oct,13
  • Crazy Capsicums

    Capsicums are a confusing vegetable; not least because they are actually a fruit!  But also because they are related to...

    20 Oct,13
  • Take broccoli off the table!

    Since the beginning of time parents have been asking the age old question, ‘How do I get my kids to...

    06 Oct,13
  • Garden Gnomes are Back

    Yay! Garden Gnomes are back! Where have they been all these years?  I imagine that, having been discarded by gardeners...

    18 Sep,13
  • Planting a Bare-rooted Fruit Tree

    It’s winter! It’s time to plant an orchard!  You can do this at any time of the year but in...

    06 Jun,13
  • Warheads v. Radishes!

    Why will kids turn up their noses at radishes but they’ll eat Warhead candies?  Or they refuse to eat Brussels...

    03 May,13
  • Room to Move

    I get a bit peeved when I watch some gardening shows or read gardening books that tell people that they...

    26 Apr,13
  • Veg Out!

    Veg out!  Don’t you just love vegging out?  Sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing except watching a bit of...

    08 Feb,13
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