Well, give it a makeover of course! His teacher had just taken over this room, complete with unloved garden box, so we set about giving it a mini garden makeover! The first thing we did was to weed it, and then add in a whole lot of soil conditioner, so the new plants would have a chance of survival. Once the wood surrounding the top of the box was replaced and painted a vibrant green, it began to look brighter. We added the fencing, which the students painted red, and attached it to the back of the box.
Here's how it looked once the box was finished, and the students had added the first few plants:
The students each painted one of the butterflies which are glued to the fence, and we added a double-sided sign in the middle - the class has the Hungry Caterpillar theme, so we went with painted saucers to make a caterpillar on each side, and attached them with liquid nails. By the end of the year, there was quite the array of plants blooming (including some California poppies which apparently liked their new environment). We even had cherry tomatoes for the students to sample. Now wouldn't it have been nice if I had remembered to take a picture once it was more mature?! Oh well, you'll just have to use your imaginations...
