![Garden craft with kids](https://cdn.magzter.com/1422863696/1716457803/articles/FxlmtxeCW1716464640241/GARDEN-CRAFT-WITH-KIDS.jpg)
As a mum of three, teacher and forest school leader, I've always been passionate about getting children outside. I remember my childhood flowerbed so fondly - a little square patch, blooming with brightly-coloured hopes and dreams.
I aim to inspire similar memories of being in the garden for my own children. The natural world is a playground (and classroom) for little minds, and I've delighted in watching their love for the outdoors blossom over the years.
Here, I'll show you how we use flowers to design clothes, build a beautiful hanging home for invertebrates and reuse waste products to grow food. These are just some of the nature-based activities we enjoy doing outside, making use of our garden's resources and upcycling household waste.
This way, I can embed learning about sustainability, plants and habitats, while also spending valuable time with my children and inspiring creative fun.
Flower-print tee
Have fun hammering out the natural pigments of flowers and foliage to make colourful prints on textiles
Hapa zome is an ancient Japanese printing technique, which roughly translates to 'leaf dyeing', and is a wonderful way to celebrate the colours and beauty of nature while also learning about its impermanence. In this activity we used hammers to bash the pigment from leaves and flowers onto a clean cotton t-shirt, extracting bright pinks and oranges from dahlia, viola and pansy blooms, plus vibrant green from geranium leaves and stems.
You will need
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![A new plot for tasty crops](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/8fPwPU3JJ1718883691808/A-NEW-PLOT-FOR-TASTY-CROPS.jpg)
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
![We love July](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/auomSWS4v1718883235572/WE-LOVE-JULY.jpg)
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
![YOUR PRUNING MONTH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/AyzxvyApb1718882831502/YOUR-PRUNING-MONTH.jpg)
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
![Hassle-free harvests](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/58G7DNLve1718882331932/HASSLEFREE-HARVESTS.jpg)
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
![Bite-sized bounties](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/2GXqBwsyJ1718882100937/BITESIZED-BOUNTIES.jpg)
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
![Upcycled outdoor living](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/zW4bs-Ef11718880944200/UPCYCLED-OUTDOOR-LIVING.jpg)
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
![Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/mZqOcDjPa1718880641873/SECRETS-OF-A-COLOURFUL-GARDEN.jpg)
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
![Greening up a city balcony](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/th-WDV4q21718880444350/GREENING-UP-A-CITY-BALCONY.jpg)
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
![The dry and mighty garden](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/UkeLpzFNN1718880033041/THE-DRY-AND-MIGHTY-GARDEN.jpg)
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
![Nature knows best](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8807/1739394/svXiw5duV1718877775144/NATURE-KNOWS-BEST.jpg)
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there