A healthier, safer and sustainable future starts with educating and involving younger generations. Pike Nurseries adds to its collection of DIY ideas, how-to videos and garden recipes with an all new Kid's Corner – a resource with garden-inspired activities and downloadable worksheets that encourage families to play in the dirt. These step-by-step activities are geared to help cultivate an interest in the garden and teach the importance of being green.
Homemade Seed Bombs
Seed packets are an easy, affordable start to gardening! There are several methods to create a successful seed bomb, but the pros at Pike Nurseries recommend either clay or construction paper for a short and easy-to-follow shopping list. Families can then plant the craft in soil and watch as the seeds germinate.
Bird Feeders
Create a welcoming place for local wildlife! Families can share backyard spaces with creatures by building a birdhouse or crafting bird feeders with two simple, hands-on DIY projects made with items around the home. Made with either pinecones or oranges, these projects will beat boredom for kids cooped up inside, while feeding feathered friends. Parents can also use the free, downloadable activity sheet to enhance homeschool lessons about birds.
Pizza Garden
Families can eat healthy, locally-sourced produce – by growing their own victory garden! Developing a green thumb will improve diets, while reducing carbon footprints and food waste. The experts at Pike Nurseries will help assemble plants and herbs that will produce just the right ingredients for a garden-to-table pizza, getting kids excited about growing their own food.
Eco-Friendly Gardening
According to the experts at Pike Nurseries, gardens are naturally environmentally responsible. Below are some of their top tips and tricks to ensure gardens are sustainable and eco-friendly:
- Choose native plants that support pollinators like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife. Native plants are also acclimated to the climate, proving to be self-sufficient and sustaining the balance in nature.
- Soil is the foundation to gardens! Combine a planting mix and compost to help build soil health, improve aeration and drainage while also adding nutrients. Adding red worms also improves soil health naturally.
- Water plants before 10 a.m. to minimize evaporation and conserve water. Apply water at the base of the plant with either soaker houses or hand-held watering wands to ensure it reaches the roots, instead of overhead on foliage and blooms.
- Apply mulch and pine straw around plants to help prevent soil erosion, prevent weeds and aid in water retention, especially in warmer temperatures.
- Use organic solutions for pest and disease issues, as well as fertilizer to help minimize impact on local wildlife and limit exposure to chemicals.
In an effort to keep customers safe, all Pike Nurseries locations are now exclusively offering delivery and curbside pick-up daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Customers can complete an online form or call their local store to order, and a Pike Nurseries employee-owner will return the call to personally consult on the request and finalize the order.
For more information and care tips at Pike Nurseries, please visit pikenursery.com.
