There’s a lot of articles in the media at the moment about encouraging children to start gardening, and little projects to help them get their hands dirty and develop a life-long interest in plants and growing their own food and to encourage them to eat their vegetables.
It’s lovely, and we need to pass on gardening skills to future generations, but what if you’ve been sharing your garden with the little darlings for years and now that they’ve moved out you’re left with a pile of childish clutter to clear out so that you can have a proper garden? If you’re strapped for cash, or don’t want to throw away their play things, then how about recycling them into something useful? Here are my ideas – by all means add yours in the comments, or leave a link to photos if you’ve finished your own project!
- If your children or grandchildren have flown the coop then why not modify their playhouse in a home for chickens? Keeping hens at home is all the range at the moment, and they don’t need pricey 5-star accommodation, just somewhere safe and dry to roost and lay their eggs.
- Swings and climbing frames would make a really sturdy support for runner beans, vines, squash or any number of other climbing plants that are edible or otherwise useful.
- A paddling pool or a sandpit makes a great watertight container for a patio pond, or if you could try growing your own rice or watercress.
- If the kids were footy fans then how about turning that old goal post into a fruit cage?
- And if you have one of those little todder slides, it might make a nice water feature with water tumbling down!
- Lots of kids items could be used as plant pots, from wellies to wagons. This one is only limited by your imagination :)
Don’t forget to leave your ideas and links in the comments, or you can email me a link for me to add here.