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Outpost:  Secret Gardens/Lanterns  |
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janjones
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Jan
Spokane Valley
WA
USA
2 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 25 2008 : 1:12:28 PM
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We had the grandkids (3 girls ages 6,9, & 12) for a few days and I had all our activities planned because of MJ's Outpost book & the old classic "Secret Gardens". You see, I have been concerned about the girls getting enough time to dream, plan, get dirty a bit, & let their imaginations soar in this electronic & scheduled world we live in. (Was that a LONG sentence??) So Grandpa & I decided to give each of the girls a section of our backyard for their own secret gardens. Each garden will have a path coming from the big tree & they can then "disappear" into their selected area.
The girls took off with excited ideas. It meant brousing through several Better Homes & Gardens magazines, looking things up on the internet for zones & compatability, sketching out ideas, measuring areas, and going to Manito Park to check out professional gardens.
Then we made lanterns similar to the ones on pg 42 to hang in the big tree. Each one decorated her own & are as different as can be.
The girls have gone home to Connell, WA but are emailing me suggestions & eagerly planning their next trip up to work on their gardens. Grandpa & I have enlisted 2 young couples to help run a sod cutter to move grass out of the way & will be putting up a fence for a backdrop.
Thanks MJ for the wonderful ideas and a way to help the girls experience "my basics" for a time. They will always know that there is a spot where they can sit back & dream.
Jan J, Cancer Nurse |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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lacisne88
True Blue Farmgirl
1181 Posts
Chelsey
Lake Stevens
Washington
USA
1181 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2008 : 3:21:44 PM
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Jan, This is really great! I wish that my grandparents let me do that when I was a little girl! Although I was allowed to play in their own gardens and I had a ton of fun and used my imagination to the fullest there, it is great that your grandchildren actually get to be a part of their very own garden. This will for sure connect them more with nature! I am excite for you and the little girls! Have a great time!
Chelsey |
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Photobugs
True Blue Farmgirl
363 Posts
Pamela
Post Falls
Idaho
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - Jul 30 2008 : 2:37:01 PM
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Jan,
We need pics of this great thing you have done!...Do you give tours...as I see you are close to me, I am in Post Falls?
I would love to do something similar for my grand-darlings! We have a batch of logs we rescued from a cabin that was being torn down...wish we had gotten more, they just burned up what was left, so sad. But hubby was tired and we got an many as we could move and store. They were all mixed in with boards with nails and trash. We want to make a tree fort from logs...but it would be neat to have them be in a secret garden area. I wish I had taken pics of the big stash of logs. This was before digital photography. In those days I was moe careful about what I took pics of...now I can shoot anything and everything.
This has really gotten me to thinkin'!
http://homesteadmercantile.blogspot.com/ |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 08:22:28 AM
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| My favorite book, The Secret Garden. What fun it would be to discover a secret garden. What a great thing for your grandkids. I may do that with my "great" grandkids. Of course we were raised in a different century, but when I was 12, I had my own garden. It wasn't a secret, it was my 4-H project. |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 09:46:02 AM
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What a lovely idea, I know my childhood was enriched by secret treehouses, special spots in the woods, your grandchldren will remember these things forever and give them to their children. The one thing I really loved about our house when the kids were little was our yard. There were fifteen acres of various types of trees, yard, etc. The world is suck a lovely kids, especially if you are right there in Mother Nature's garden...
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2008 : 10:48:37 PM
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| what an awesome idea for you and your grandkids! i hope you post picstures of the progress!! peace connie in alaska |
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Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Linda
MA
USA
157 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2008 : 10:37:44 AM
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Jan, you have created a wonderful memory maker for your granddaughters. An idea from the beloved late author and children's book illustrator, Tasha Tudor, you may want to use. Tasha created a magic garden for her children by leaving tiny, handwritten (and illustrated) notes in hiding places only each child knew the location of. The children would write simple letters, make drawings or place something as a rock, flower or inspired treasure in the hiding place. Would love to see posted pictures of your garden.
Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
Farm Girl #300
Kansas to Massachusetts |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2008 : 10:27:39 AM
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Those are some lucky little girls! I'd put wind chimes all over. If any of the girls are into music, they'd love that. Each wind chime usually has different rhythms. They could even take part in making the wind chimes. I'd love to see pictures of the garden.
Marly |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2008 : 11:51:12 AM
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Love this idea -- and also the suggestions for including a hiding place for notes and including windchimes as well. The world is indeed magical, and we need to keep the wonder of childhood in our children/grands/and ourselves.
www.youaretoocreative.blogspot.com |
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jinia
True Blue Farmgirl
152 Posts
jinia
mo
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2008 : 3:09:41 PM
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| Jan what a wonderful thing to do! I recently had to almost beg my son - 6 to play in the dirt with me..I am working on it. |
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Outpost: Secret Gardens/Lanterns |
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Secret Gardens/Lanterns
