I write a weekly school organic garden newsletter for the school's recently formed garden club. The school only has about 250 students and most seem to be enthusiastic about gardening (as long as it doesn't interfere with their sport, etc). I am always looking for ideas to motivate and encourage kids in the garden, at school and at home.

I've spent hours searching sites on the internet and have found plenty of ideas for younger kids eg toddlers/kindergarden but not much for older ones, 5 - 12 year olds.

I've found items like bean plant races, growing giant pumpkins and growing your own cubby houses but I'm running out of ideas.

We are starting compost worms at school soon and having chickens in a couple of months but need ideas to keep the kids interest up (also to try and motivate more volunteer parents). We also have just started a monthly plant stall, selling seedlings, garden produce, etc.

We run on a shoestring budget and rely heavily on donations of materials from parents so any ideas would have to be something that are free or minimal cost.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

# a cutting garden....material, not confined to flowers, for the classrooms. Germinating black bean seeds for indoor plants.

# butterfly garden

# a mini native grassland, wallaby grass etc

# how different coloured flowers may be more atractive to critters. How do rainbows find an isolated colvillea flowering in a garden they never normally visit? Nectar feeding birds and bill shapes that fit the flowers, also the link with transferring pollen for fertilisation. The other bill shapes that fit the job description.

I'm sure I'd thought of other things away from the monitor!
Rose

The younger kids aren't too hard to encourage but the older ones often have other things on their minds eg sports, boys/girls, etc.

The grade 1's have done the pantyhose creatures and egg shell heads and even though I have suggested the odd planters I might try and organise a fun show day or something similar.

My 12yr old son organised an 'Adopt-A-Garden' plan where each class adopts a garden bed and looks after it. One class now has a herb garden with a herb spiral underway and a couple of other classes are planting up some beds but I don't know what with yet.

The P&C is donating some fruit trees which should be arriving shortly.

We are trying to get a steep slope (covered in very tall grass at the moment) cleaned up and planted but still have to work out what to plant. One teacher wants 'bush tucker' type plants and another wants a 'native corridor'. I think that both can be combined but what do I know I'm just a lowly parent (who has worked in and run nurseries and done a horticulture course many long years ago). Teachers! Just have to wait and see! Sorry, letting off some steam, I'm not picking on teachers just these two.

The organic vegie garden is doing well if we can keep over-enthusiastic kids from picking things before they are ready ("let's pull out the carrot and see how big it is" - only a week after planting!). We are selling the produce to the tuckshop and on a plant and produce stall we have just started.

Once the weather warms up we will start doing cuttings.

Our main problems at the moment are lack of time and adult volunteers to help with the harder/heavier jobs. We have a working bee for 2hrs one Saturday a month but (at the most) only half a dozen adults come. It's a great school and (most) of the kids are great. Majority of the teachers don't know much about gardening and were slow to start but with the gov't pushing the active, healthy program the teachers are now getting into it. Now to find a way to encourage the parents (I know they are all busy but so am I).

Sorry probably made you all bored. Thanks again for the ideas, more ideas are welcome.

The next garden club meeting is on this Thursday night so will be putting these ideas to the others. I'll keep you updated.

Cheers