Greenhouse Spring Clean

I actually really look forward to my annual greenhouse spring clean! As soon as the weather starts getting warmer my mind turns to gardening and what seeds we are going to sow this year. I love getting everything ready to start anew.

Little went down for her afternoon nap and Poppet got herself ready to help with the cleaning - complete with wellingtons, tutu, chalk make-up and a string of pearls.

The greenhouse was packed full so we started by emptying everything out, trying to remain calm despite the cobwebs and spiders! I felt itchy all day afterwards. We sorted out all the plant pots according to size, binned the broken ones, organised our tools and watering cans (there were two big ones and two little ones so they were assigned to the appropriate family members), washed Poppet's gardening gloves and decided to buy mama some new ones.

Then we brushed the whole place down; Poppet was very keen to help and made sure her own little bench was clean. I brought in a basin of hot soapy water and we wiped down all the benches

Little woke up and joined us so I gave the girls the task of washing old plant pots. It was raining by this point, and Poppet also naughtily decided to pour plant pots full of water over Little's head but luckily she had a good raincoat on. They had great fun 'washing' the pots, it was funny how much they loved playing in the rain. While they were busy I quickly washed all of the seed trays (with the outdoor tap which sprayed up everywhere so I also got very wet) and assembled everything back into the greenhouse ready to plant seeds the next day.

 

Then it was indoors to take off our wet clothes, have a bath to clean up (and kill off any spiders that I was paranoid had got under our clothes) and get into cosy clothes to finish off the afternoon watching Frozen.

Poppet: 3yrs 3mos

Little: 18mos

Toddler's Greenhouse Area

I love my greenhouse, I potter around in it nearly every day and Poppet loves to join me and help. Today their daddy made a wee area that she could claim as her own - this is what he came up with, I absolutely love it!

At the end of the greenhouse he put up a lower level bench and secured it, and then I collected all her gardening bits and bobs to lay out. I gave her a modular seed tray, her trowel and fork, her gardening gloves, pea and pumpkin seed packets, watering cans, plant pots, toilet rolls, egg and yoghurt cartons, and some sweetcorn and fuchsia plants. I also put a bucket of compost on the floor next to her bench.

Her Papa took her down to see it when she woke up from her nap, and I think she adores this area almost as much as I do! I envisage many hours are going to be spent here this summer and I'm so happy she can share a hobby with me. This afternoon she planted up some pea and pumpkin seeds in her little tray with some help from Papa, and watered them about 5 times. She was very happy!