I’m really pleased to welcome Carly from In the Flower Shop I Saw for my guest post today. If you’ve not seen her Instagram account, please do check it out - if you’re a floral fan it’ll be right up your street! Carly is talking about ways to get your children outside and involved in the garden, and has some beautiful ideas….
As a child I remember playing outside…playing outside a LOT! As old as this makes me sound I can think back to the days where entertainment was created by simply looking for that lucky three leaf clover in the grass, picking daisies to make a simple, yet enchanting chain and dead-heading roses (sorry Mum!) to squish and squash and make a ‘beautifully’ scented perfume. Ahh those were the days!
When I look back at my childhood the most effortless of activities seem to be the ones I remember and reminisce about the most - where simply holding a buttercup under your friend’s chin would answer that all important questions “You DO like butter!”
I can’t help but think that some of these simple, yet thoroughly enjoyable activities are somewhat lost in today’s modern society. A society where entertainment is instant - where you can watch a programme on TV - and when you want to know what happens next … you simply press a button and your wish is granted.
This got me thinking - sat here at over 38 weeks pregnant - how could I teach my child, using playful and innovative methods, to learn how to hold back on her instant desires. As a lover of the great outdoors I can’t think of a better way to do this than out in the garden! You can learn so much by just merely stepping outside!
By scattering some wild flower seeds in a border or planting herbs in a pot you can teach your child the invaluable skill of patience - the need to wait for those first shoots to appear, for them to grow and finally become the vision that they saw on the seed packet. Furthermore, by getting your child to focus on the stages the plant goes through as it takes shape and grows (getting them to use their senses … ask them what they can see? what colour is it? how does it smell? what noises can they hear around them?) enables them to focus on the ‘now’, rather than trying to jump ahead to the future - another vital learning skill!
If you want to try something a little different in your garden for next spring you could plant a ‘Fairy Ring‘ - this is so simple to do, however it can add so much magic to your lawn and enrich the imagination for your little ones.
All you need to do is:
- Mark out a circle on your lawn (you could do this using a tent peg and a piece of string as a marker)
- Then with a bulb planter make approx. 30 holes around the circle, pull out the soil and grass and put to one side
- In each hole place a crocus bulb (the pointed end facing upwards), and then replace the plug of soil and grass on top of each bulb firmly
In total you’ll need approx. 30 crocuses to make a complete circle.
When spring comes next year you’ll have your very own crocus fairy ring. A place where you can sit with your child and have picnics surrounded by the magic of the fairies that will come out to play there at night! I feel this is such a beautiful way to teach your child patience and help them (and you!) focus on the present!
About Carly of In the Flower Shop I Saw
Carly is a 37 year old mum-to-be (due May 2017!) living in the Cotswolds with her Fiancé Chris.After spending the last 6 years running her own business designing / building online communities for some of the worlds leading brands, she has now decided to step away from the computer and focus on her love of flowers and floristry - a love which blossomed after completing a 2 year floristry course at Reaseheath Agricultural College in Cheshire.
Inspired by her move from Cheshire, in the North West of England, to the Cotswolds, and as a result acquiring a large country garden with her new home, Carly now focuses on her passion for flowers, highlighting the vital role of the local florists and encouraging parents to share the joy of flowers with their children!
She has set up an instagram hashtag #intheflowershopIsaw - the aim of this is to encourage people to share their favourite photos from their local flower shop.
You can follow Carly on:
Instagram: @intheflowershopIsaw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Twitter: @InTheFlowerShop
