Green Thumbs. A Kid's Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening

213 Pages·1995·5.27 MB·English

by  Laurie Carlson

GREEN
THUMBS
GREEN
THUMBS
A Kid’s Activity Guide to Indoor
and Outdoor Gardening
LAURIE CARLSON
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Carlson, Laurie M., 1952-
Green thumbs : a kid’s activity guide to indoor and outdoor
gardening / Laurie Carlson — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55652-238-X
1. Gardening—Juvenile literature. 2. Nature craft—Juvenile
literature. 3. Handicraft—Juvenile literature. 4. Cookery—Juvenile
literature. [1. Gardening. 2. Nature craft. 3. Handicraft. 4. Cookery.]
I. Title.
SB457.C27 1995
635—dc20 94-41895
CIP
AC
The author and the publisher disclaim all liability incurred in connection with the
use of the information contained in this book.
Interior illustrations by Sean O’Neill
Typography by MobiGraphics, Inc., Chicago, Illinois ©1995 by Laurie Carlson
All rights reserved
First edition
Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
814 North Franklin Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
ISBN-13: 978-1-55652238-3
ISBN-10:1-55652-238-X
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5
“We can never have enough of nature.”
—Thoreau
For my husband, Terry
Contents
INTRODUCTION
PLANTING BASICS
How Plants Drink
Tool Time
Tool Tote
Watering Your Plants
Make a Scoop
Make Straight Rows
Plant Labels
Plant Hats
Prepare a Garden Spot (Indoor and Outdoor)
Create Some Compost (Outdoor and Indoor)
Sow Some Seeds Indoors
Seedling Pots
Mini Greenhouse
Seeds in a Sack
Divide & Multiply
Amazing African Violet
Colorful Coleus
Jade Tree
PESKY PESTS
Homemade Bug Sprays
Soap Spray
Garlic Spray
Soda Spray
Slug Trap
Pest Strips
Windmills
Silly Scarecrows
What About Weeds?
GARDEN PARTNERS
Build a Birdhouse
Feed the Birds
Make a Garden Pond
Butterfly Garden
Bring on the Bees
Other Insect Friends
Praying Mantis
Ladybugs
Green Lacewings
Wonderful Worms
Helpful Plants
TASTY IDEAS
Sprout Farm
Chinese Stir Fry
Eat Your Flowers!
Nasturtium Salad
Flower Petal Candy
Carrot Cake
Vegetable Soup
FUN WITH HERBS
Dry Some Herbs
Sun Tea
Herb Tea
Tasty Tomatoes
Herbed Eggs
Herbed Butter
Dill Dip
Sage Cheese Spread
Pretty Herb Jars
Herb Pillows
Herbal Soap
GROW SOME FUN
Grow Your Name
Goofy Gourds
Brighten Your Day—With Bulbs
Crafty Crocus
Meat-Eating Plant in a Jar Jungle
Crazy Cucumber in a Bottle
Here Kitty, Kitty!
Weightlifting Super Seeds
Sack of Spuds
Peanuts in a Pot
Grow a Bean Tent
MAKE & DO PROJECTS
Garden Diary
Plenty of Pots
Plant Your Dinner
Avocado
Sweet Potato
Pineapple
Garlic
Garlic Braid
Dish Garden
Blooming Branches
Topiary
Sprout a Silly Pet
Tiny Trees: Bonsai
Grow an Easter Basket
Make a Flower Press
Frame a Leaf
Make a Doll Collection
Cornhusk Doll
Bean Doll
Grow Some Mold
Awesome Algae
Yeast Plants
Make Some Money
Garden Sounds
THINK AHEAD!
Save Some Seeds
Grow Some History
Trees
FUTURE GARDENS
RESOURCES
Addresses
Books & Magazines
INDEX OF PLANTS
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening! With a few seeds, some water,
and soil, you’ll be growing plants of your own in no time. As you enjoy the
beauty of watching your plants grow a leaf at a time, you will learn about nature,
about where living things come from. Gardening is a hobby that everyone in
your family can take part in, and once you learn how to make things grow, it’s an
activity you can have fun with for the rest of your life.
An outdoor garden is a great way to get exercise and fresh air. You can be in
the fresh air and imagine what it’s like to live on a farm. This doesn’t mean that
you have to have a backyard to be a full-fledged gardener. If you have a
windowsill with plenty of sunlight, you have most of what you need to start
planting.
When you are the gardener, you can choose what you want to grow. Try
growing some healthy food. No tomato from the grocery store is as tasty as the
one that grew right before your eyes! Or you might want to plant flowers. It’s
fun to watch a little green sprout blossom into a colorful flower. You’re the one
who decides—you can do both.
Whether your garden is in a plot in the yard or a pot by a window, whether
it’s a bean plant or an African violet—you’ll learn about how plants live and
grow, and you’ll enjoy some good things to eat and pretty flowers to gaze at.
By planting a garden, you’ll discover many exciting things about nature right
away: how the weather, temperature, and seasons affect all living things; how
living things come out of seeds and soil; how the birds, earthworms, bees, and
toads help in the garden; how our whole environment works together like an
amazing puzzle.
So get up and get ready to plant. As budding gardeners, we’re going to get in
touch with the world we live in!