Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2002
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/kidsgardening.html

Gardening with Kids
October 2001
Jan Decker, Junior Gardeners' Club Coordinator

    If you've been by Johnson's lately you know it's bulb planting
season. An easy bulb for a kid's garden is the daffodil. It comes in a
range of sizes and colors, is a reliable performer year after year, and
in a few months it will bring a cheerful announcement that spring is
near.

    Some bulbs, such as crocus, don't seem to notice if they are planted
sideways, but tulips and daffodils really do grow better when they are
planted "pointy end up." It can be hard for children to remember that
this is important. One way to help them remember is to practice with a
bucket of potting mix. Have your child scoop out a hole, place the bulb
right side up and press it firmly but gently into the mix, at the same
time giving it a slight twist to ensure good soil contact. Once they
learn the "feel" of doing this it becomes almost instinctive, especially
if they whisper "pointy end up" as they go.

    A good way to let children see how the bulbs grow is to start some
in a clear glass bowl filled with pebbles. Use paperwhite narcissus
bulbs and plant them pointy end up in the bowl. Set them so they are
nestled no more than halfway down into the pebbles and add water to just
below the base of the bulbs. Refill as needed to keep the water just
below but not touching the bulbs (the bulbs will rot if they sit in
water). In a short time, roots will form to anchor the bulbs in the
pebbles and then the tops will grow. In four to six weeks you should
have blooms Ñ and a great demonstration of how bulbs grow both under and
above ground!

    Reminder: if your child is entered in the Junior Gardeners' Club
Pumpkin Growing Contest they have until October 15 to bring in their
pumpkins to be weighed and measured.