Backyard Transformation: Kids Garden!

Woo Hoo it's finished! We are so excited for our Kids Garden reveal! Did you catch the live reveal on Facebook this past Saturday? If not you can see it here: Mighty Girls Rock

That was our first live broadcast. I can't tell you how nerve-racking it is doing a live video. If you didn't notice, my kids starting a sibling rift in the middle (insert laughter/crying emoji)! You should watch it again. At one point Bella just walked off... That is typically how we operate these days.

Last summer we took a corner of our yard that was muddy and turned it into an area for our kids! This was our reveal on Facebook! Fairy Garden and Hopscotch! Follow us! Blog: Mightygirlsrock.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mightygirlsrock/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightygirlsrock/

Moving on... here are the before pics so you can get an idea of the transformation. We converted a muddy corner of our yard. It doesn't get much sun and it's more of a pain when it rains and the dog tramples through it. We knew we wanted some sort of ground coverage. The kids typically play back there anyways so I thought why not make it theirs?

Before and After...

Off The Beaten Path

In the early stages of planning I knew I wanted a path to wrap around the tree. We used some old tree branches and large river rocks that we had around the yard. We filled in the rest with some smaller river rocks and gravel.

Frankie and Ella!

These super cute lawn gnomes I actually found at Target's Dollar Spot!! The girls named them Frankie and Ella. The little mushroom spikes are from Menards.

Yes, there is a peek a boo grass patch because mushrooms don't grow in mulch. I want to say that was intentional but it we ran out of the landscape liner. It will eventually die.... 

Dinosaurs!

Our garden wouldn't be complete with out these buddies! This was Ryleigh's favorite part and I waited until the next day to surprise her. I told her I thought there were dinosaurs out there eating our hostas because they looked munched on.  She ran out there and came back yelling...

"Mommy you tricked me!! But they aren't really eating the plants because they are fake!"

She squealed with laughter and ran back out to the garden. My little 4 year old logical thinker.

Fairy Garden

Our fairy garden was probably the best part for the girls. They have been begging to create one for the past year! Not only did they pick out the accessories but they help in creating it. I told them that if you create a welcoming garden the fairies will come. We are waiting for sime fairies to drop a little surprise to let us know they settled in. The majority of the fairy accessories came from Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection!

While we were adding the fake moss sheets we actually discovered REAL moss in our yard! So some of those little bits are the real thing. 

The main fairy house is my favorite! We placed it on one of our very flat river rocks. 

I used an artificial succulent stem to create a small little bush. It's right behind the smaller fairy house and fits perfectly.

Hopscotch Pavers

A Pinterest success! This is super easy and so much fun! With a couple cans of spray paint, some outdoor paint, and a foam brush you can easily create this in a couple hours.

Little Extras

We had an old Minnie Mouse watering can that the kids kept kicking around so this was a perfect solution. Once the flowers start to bloom bigger it will look gorgeous. 

Our little toad stool was a total last minute find at Walmart. It's meant for sitting on and I think we are going to get a second one and create a little tic tac toe area for the kids to play.

What do ya think of our kids garden?

Reasons You Should Start Gardening with Your Kids

As we are approaching the second year for our family garden my kids are giddy with excitement and looking forward to getting out and getting dirty! This past Easter their baskets were filled will all sorts of gardening goodies. The Easter bunny hit it spot on this year! They were filled with a watering can, mini garden gloves, seeds, and gardening tools.

Since

last year

was such a success and the kiddies were so interested, we decided that we are going to give the girls their very own garden bed to putts around in! Gardening is such a wonderful activity and hobby for young kids to take part in and here's why...

Educational

This is a

hands on experience

for the kids to learn where our food comes from and how it's made. Most kids who don't have a clue about gardening assume our food is made at the grocery store. Learning about seeds, plant needs, and how to grow their own food will make plant biology all the more fun!

Teach them about work and Responsibility

Not only do your kids learn about the educational aspects behind gardening but they learn about the hard work it takes to produce the food and the work it takes caring for the plants.

Physical activity

Kids should be out playing anyways but fun in the sun can be constructive as well and gets them moving the muscles they're not used to while sitting in class all day.

It's fun!

Most kids enjoy gardening and getting their hands a little dirty. Why not give them a productive activity that you can join in on as well.

Boosts their self-esteem

My little one felt so proud when the tomatoes and cucumbers started to grow. It's like she accomplished something big, which she did!

Healthy for the family

Growing your own food gives you the reassurance of where it comes from and the chemicals that are used. It also gets kids excited about eating fruits and vegetables because they grew it themselves. My daughter would go out to the garden and pick the green beans and eat them raw. I was shocked!

Spending time with your kids

My favorite reason is I get to spend quality time with my kids. Those early years of wonder are perfect for gardening. It's a hobby that both mommy and my girls enjoy together.

My first garden update

Summer is already half way gone. I knew having my a veggie garden was work. I knew there would be things I would learn along the way and this would be a process for the next several years. We are almost half way through the growing season here in zone 5 and I can already think of a couple things I've learned so far.

1. Space

I didn't anticipate how much space each plant would need and take up, therefore there are some plants that are drowning underneath others... my carrots for one. Allow for enough space for the plants to mature so it doesn't look like a jungle and you allow room for other ones to grow.

2. Trellis

Cucumbers need a trellis or something to grow up otherwise it will attach itself to anything else including the plants next to it, the ground, or the side of the garden.

3. Cucumbers come from their flowers. I must have spent a week staring at this plant and wondering, while I watched the rest of my plants spring fruit and veggies, where the heck are the cucumbers. Only did I realize, after looking online, they were coming from their flowers.

4. You don't need 5 of everything.

I started out planting entire rows of different varieties of peppers realizing I don't need 6 cayenne pepper bushes. Next year we will be cutting back on some and adding on others.

 Green Beans

Cherry Tomatoes

So that's what I got for ya so far, folks! I will be posting more pictures shortly as it looks like we are to have some pickable veggies soon! How is your garden coming along?