A Wine Garden!?

So we live in the burbs, where big gardens are 'prohibited' via an HOA. :(
This year, we are trying out a wine box garden method! I also plan to sneak a small 'raised bed' garden out back, but this will do for now...to get us started.

I got this wine box idea from LLH Designs and their lovely post on 'how to'. You will get lost on her blog site, she's a really inspiring lady.

We picked up some wine boxes from a local liquor store for FREE!

We have yet to drill holes for drainage or to seal them yet, but we plan to!

For 'starters' we had to make starter plants.

 

We like to use recycled plastic containers to start our seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Here, we used egg cartons, lettuce cartons and a little cherry tomato carton!

 

We had some of those jiffy starter pellets left, so we used those & then some garden soil when we ran out.

 

We left them outside in our wine boxes to soak up some sun, watered... and the beans sprouted fast!

 

I hope to get the bean tee-pee started early, last year didn't work out so well.
See our post here on that fail!

Here is a fun and FREE garden marker template to make! How cute are these?
You can print them, stick them between two clear garden stones or put them on sticks!

 

Also, here's a great garden themed Pre-K pack to download for FREE from HomeSchool Creations (LOVE them).

Inspire by reading gardening books too! We love 'the Surprise Garden' by Zoe Hall.

 

Here's a fun animated video of this book!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr66Gt4xs5Q

There's also a FREE lesson plan from Scholastic on this book, found HERE.

Here's a fun project and free printable from Crayola. A garden mobile.

Of course, leaving one box for the girl to 'play in'...

 

 

Growing Zinnias in her little yellow garden area.

We will probably convert this into a larger fairy garden for her to play with in a few months, once the flowers start blooming!

Here's our simple Fairy Garden from last year.

 

What mom wouldn't let her kids play with wine boxes...once they have been properly emptied,

 that is !?  :)