Just for Kids

Story by Mifi Purvis

My Own Garden

Good food starts at home. This spring ask your mom if you can have a little patch of garden all your own. It¡¯s a great way to get out there and enjoy the spring and summer. If you don¡¯t have space in your yard, there are other options. Watch your parents¡¯ eyes pop when you bring them a bowl full of fresh green beans from your own bean teepee or a bunch of crispy carrots from a plot or pot in the backyard.

Bean Teepee: Ask your mom or dad to help you. Take four long poles or strong poplar saplings, stripped of twigs and leaves. Find a sunny spot in your yard, stick one end of each pole firmly into the ground so that they mark out four corners on a square. Then lash the top ends to-gether, teepee--style. Plant runner beans, such as Scarlet Runners, at the base of each pole. The plants will grow up the poles and produce lots of crisp, sweet beans for your family to enjoy.

Carrot Pot: Summer garden carrots taste sweeter than any mid-winter carrot you¡¯ve ever eaten. Carrot seeds are tiny and a little hard to plant, but they grow really well. Plant some in a few big plastic tubs or garden pots. You¡¯ll be able to grow enough carrots for a few meals or lots of sweet summer snacks. You can even try baby varieties, such as Thumbelina or Little Finger, or even radishes.

Tiny Tomatoes: Plant some tomato seeds indoors early, or buy a small tomato plant later in the spring. You can grow lots of different kinds, but the best might be cherry tomatoes or Tiny Tims because they are snack-sized and ready to eat sooner.

Garden Patch: Your patch should be a square, about the length and width of your outstretched arms. Try growing a row of radishes - they grow fast. Carrots are also great in a garden patch, so plant a row of those, too. Peas are easy to plant and usually do well without much fuss. If you have a bigger garden, plant a few garden potatoes deep in the earth and watch them grow like magic.

AnythingMuffins

Try this muffin recipe, add almost anything you like as a secret ingredient, and be amazed at the results.

Stuff you need:

Directions: Mix all the stuff together in the big bowl, fill cups in the muffin tin about three-quarters of the way up. Bake in a 400ºF (200ºC) oven for 20 minutes.

Secret ingredient: You can use a cup of almost anything in this recipe. Try fresh berries, grated carrots, apple, zucchini or pumpkin. If you use pumpkin or carrots, add a 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of cinnamon. 

Source: City Farm Edmonton www.city-farm.org