February half term Garden Fun Greenhouse Gardening with Children

Not many of us can aspire to a greenhouse of a style like those at Kew Gardens. Those are serious glasshouses! But a few of us manage something more mundane – a lean-to temporary plastic greenhouse for over wintering tender perennials and starting seeds, perhaps; a window sill with a propagator precariously perched upon it; or you may be lucky enough to own a fully fledged glasshouse.

Whatever you have room and budget for, your enthusiasm will be belittled by that of your children when they realise that a greenhouse big enough for a child to fit into is another world, full of play opportunities. That musty, moss-edged grubby greenhouse hidden behind the compost heap and filled with old terracotta pots your mother gave you years before has turned into a castle/ space station/ North Polar expedition base / TARDIS [delete as appropriate]

Now, however delighted you are at the depth of your child’s imagination, you would maybe prefer another use for the greenhouse, propagating tomato plants for example. The February holiday is a great opportunity to reclaim your territory and have half term garden fun with the kids.

Half term Garden Fun in the Greenhouse

Firstly, clear everything out of the greenhouse. Put wanted items in one box, and unwanted items in another to be recycled or binned. Sweep inside the greenhouse and brush as much debris off the roof as you can reach.

Next, wrap yourself and children in waterproof coats and wellies. Gather together buckets, sponge, scrubbing brush and rubber gloves. These can be found in child sizes which will increase the fun.

Then wash all surfaces with a ‘magic potion’ – aka science experiment. Because when you add together bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar – volcano time! It’s an efficacious mixture for cleaning windows, frame and floor: try a dilution of vinegar 1:8 in 1 litre water; add 2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda. Then get cleaning!

NB: although safer than ‘synthetic’ chemicals, this will still sting if splashed into eyes – rinse with plenty of water. Alternatively, let younger children wear swimming/ ski goggles; they’ll enjoy the dressing up!

When you’ve cleaned the greenhouse, you (or the children) then need to clean the pots and seed trays that you’ll be using for the new season, using the above mix. Used washing up brushes are quite good, but toothbrushes are more fun, and easier to reach into corners with. Another fun occupation for the children: it’s amazing how entertaining it is to use your old toothbrush to clean plant pots, although your siblings’ new toothbrush is always best…

Some other ideas for half term garden fun

Have a trip to the garden centre to pick up some spring flowering alpines for an instant ‘fix’ of colour to brighten up your new-look greenhouse. These plants tolerate cold but not wet so they’re better protected from the wet British climate.

Containers and bedding plants – your children could have a container each and choose the bedding plants to go in it. Spending is fixed to a budget so a practical exercise for them too (maths!)

Perhaps you fancy a Gardening Lesson to help you to teach your children the correct way to garden?

And if you’d like a gardening course on using your greenhouse to the full, learning more about your garden and gardening, why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden. We can help you learn gardening basics, carry out worm and other experiments and also show you how to plan an ornamental border or kitchen garden.

And for further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.