It’s nearly time for National Children’s Gardening Week (27 May – 4 June 2023) and it’s a fantastic way to get children involved in growing plants in a garden or outdoor space or at home Multi-award-winning German gardening brand, LECHUZA is gearing up for the event with some easy gardening projects that celebrate the fun that gardens hold for kids and how they can embrace nature.
In this increasingly technological world, children are spending more time inside, but LECHUZA has the perfect answer to get children outdoors with OJO. The first PLAYMOBIL-designed planter, OJO is equipped with a self-watering system that makes plant care a child’s play for budding gardeners and long-time fans. The OJO pot can be mixed and matched with six different colours of hair – ruby pink, apple green, aquamarine, ocean blue, fire red, and raven black and is the perfect way to enjoy National Children’s Gardening Week in a fun and creative way.
Here are some of LECHUZA’s fun DIY garden ideas that the children will love!
Plant a Pizza
Nothing says celebrating summer more than al fresco dining with the family and your child’s favourite food – pizza! Fresh, seasonal ingredients are perfect for making homemade summer pizzas, but did you know that most of the ingredients you use can be grown in your garden in your OJO planter? Here’s what can you grow in your OJO pizza pot!
Tomatoes: You should plant your tomato in the middle of the pot as it grows to be the largest plant in your pizza garden. We recommend plum tomatoes such as Romello or Roma which are varieties that are delicious, mostly seedless, and ideal for making sauces. Since it is a bush variety, it also thrives in pots and containers. Packed with antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and lycopene, they are good for you too!
Basil: Basil is a vibrant, fragrant and easy-to-grow aromatic herb and a staple on any pizza. Children will love growing this easy plant from seed and can be sown any time from early spring to mid-summer. Make sure you and your kids harvest the leaves regularly as this will encourage new growth. For the best flavour, add the fresh basil at the end of cooking your pizza and just before serving – how yummy!
Thyme: Another herb that is fast growing and kids will love getting their hands’ dirty planting is thyme. Not only is thyme an essential ingredient in Italian cooking and perfect for a pizza topping, but it will also bring the bees buzzing around OJO with its delicate flowers. Children will love snipping a sprig of thyme and you will only need a small amount at a time for your pizza, meaning the aromatic smell will remain ‘scent-sational’ in your garden or on your windowsill all summer long.
Oregano: Native to the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, children will love picking and collecting oregano from the garden and then drying the leaves for their pizzas. They will grow denser the more you cut them back and eat them. Nothing can beat grilled pizza with homemade pizza sauce and fresh-from-the-garden toppings!
Don’t forget if your OJO planter gets crowded with pizza toppings, you can also use LECHUZA’s BALCONERA model which is perfect for cultivating salad vegetables and herbs and can be attached to a balcony or fence or placed on a table or windowsill.
Magic OJO Plant Hair
How about sprucing up your OJO character with a haircut?
For those wanting wacky haircuts for their gardening buddy, why not plant house plants like spider plants, Boston ferns, snake plants or African violets to give OJO a trendy urban jungle vibe that will brighten up any living space or bedroom?
If OJO is outdoors, why not create a scaled-up version of a grass head? Wildflower mixes can be sown in the planter for some colourful and pollinator-friendly hair and will be a great hands-on activity for National Children’s Gardening Week with results showing in about 8 weeks.
For a more closely cropped style cut, OJO can be given a sleek but short head of hair by plating succulents. Sempervivums (house leeks) are ideal for this fun task because they come in many colours and textures which children will love. Just make sure you use a compost mix with perlite or grit so the succulents thrive, and the water can drain easily.
OJO Sensory Play
Why does not turn your OJO planter into a sensory experience? A small sensory garden will stimulate the senses, plus they have exceptional health benefits.
An OJO sensory planter can become an enjoyable and stimulating project for National Children’s Gardening Week as it engages a child’s sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. When planting, throw in some bright flowers like sunflowers or marigolds. Lavender and dianthus are great for their sweet smell, and ornamental grasses will sound so soothing. Tasty herbs will be a delight, and Lamb’s Ear will give a unique and velvety texture.
Buy yours now
Priced at £32.99 the OJO planter can be purchased from www.lechuza.co.uk where a 10% discount and free UK delivery offer is currently available.
ENDS
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Notes to editors
ABOUT LECHUZA
If you’re looking for ways to make the most out of your planter in different home interiors and outdoor settings then look no further than LECHUZA INSPIRATIONS, where there are ideas for creating fresh spring decor, a green update for your home office, design tips for large rooms, fashionable chic for outdoor areas, kitchen gardens, Japan-di style, orchid care, urban gardening, gifting ideas and so much more!
Don’t forget…all planters purchased from Lechuza.co.uk enjoy a 30-day returns policy and a three-year warranty.
About LECHUZA
Did you know…?
- LECHUZA planters are fully recyclable
- All LECHUZA planter liners are made from 100% recycled* material
- LECHUZA processes 990 tonnes of recycled* plastic each year
- LECHUZA reuses 100% of plastic waste in production
- As part of LECHUZA’s sustainability efforts, over 70% of the water used in production comes from cisterns.
- LECHUZA is a multi-award-winning brand including the 2019 Design Award, Reddot Award winners 2018 and German Design Award winner 2019.
* post-industrial material
For more information visit: https://www.lechuza.co.uk or follow @lechuza.co.uk on Instagram.