janet’s journal

It is essential to teach our children about the environment and help them to understand the importance of protecting it. Involving children in environmental activities and teaching them about nature and the plants and animals around them is enjoyable for both parents and children. This is where gardening can come in! Kids love setting seeds and watching them grow and flourish. Why should you consider gardening for your children? The benefits of introducing gardening to children from a young age are many and we have detailed some of them below.

Children can learn about the wonders of science, the life cycle of plants, how insects and other creatures interact in the garden and how humans can have both negative and positive effects on the environment. They can gain first hand experience of the miracle of life through setting seeds and watching them germinate and grow into healthy plants and flowers.

If you have a fish pond you’ll need to know the how to take care of the fish during the winter. If the country you live in has a cold winter then you need to take this into account when you build your fish pond. You need to made at least part of your pond 30 to 45 inches deep in order to protect your fish during very cold spells. If the pond becomes iced over toxic gases can build up in the water, so it is essential that you make sure that part of the surface is always open to to allow the toxic gases to escape and to allow oxygen to enter. You can achieve this in different ways.

An aerator, powered by a small aquarium pump can be used to keep an opening in the ice. It is quite hard to get the placement correct so that it works efficiently. It should be placed about half way to the bottom of the pond. If it is too deep it can cause the whole pond to be chilled, too near the surface it can freeze.

A healthy lawn which is naturally resisitant to diseases, insects and weeds will be much less dependant on chemical fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides. In addition a healthy lawn will only need fertilising once year. So how do you make sure your lawn is healthy so that you can reduce the use of fertilisers and chemicals. The first thing to consider is how to improve the soil. Start by testing the pH of the soil which should be slightly acidic and between 6.5 and 7. It is more acidic (the pH is less than 6.5) you would need to add some lime. If the pH is above seven, the soil is too basic and you need to add some sulfur. You can either use a pH meter to comply for around $50 or have the soil professionally tested.