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Build a sunflower fort, a pizza garden, a pole bean teepee fort or create fun children's garden design ideas. Create fairytale garden with fairy wands
Anne of Green Gables, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and published in 1908, is the charming story of red-haired orphan named Anne Shirley. The backdrop for the classic children's book is picturesque Prince Edward Island, where the author herself grew up. In the novel, the gregarious Anne Shirley is adopted by Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert, a brother and sister who share the running of a small farm named Green Gables. A review at the time proclaimed the book "radiated happiness and optimism." Movie stills from the Anne of Green Gables a film produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan in 1985 for the CBC. It is very tempting to associate an author with the story and characters he or she creates, but in the diaries she kept from an early age, Lucy Maud described her own life as one "filled with shadows." One of Lucy Maud's earliest memories was touching her small hand to the cold cheek of her mother as she lay in her coffin. After his twenty-three year old wife died of tuberculosis, Lucy Maud's grief-stricken father abandoned his two year old daughter to the care of her maternal grandparents. He moved to western Canada where he remarried and started a second family of children. Though an attempt was made to include Lucy Maud in this new household, she clashed with her father's second wife. In the end, Lucy Maud returned to Prince Edward Island and her aging grandparents. Black and white photograph of Montgomery in front of her house in Norval dated September 18, 1932 Reference Code: F1075 Archives of Ontario, I0001763 In those days, marriage or teaching were a girl's main life choices. For a time, Lucy Maud taught in village schools in Belmont and Lower Bedeque, PEI, but after the death of her grandfather, she dutifully returned home to care for her grandmother. Writing was always a great solace for Lucy Maud. She wrote in her journals, "I cannot remember a time when I was not writing, or when I did not mean to be an author. To write has always been my central purpose around which every effort and hope and ambition has grouped itself." In 1908, Anne of Green Gables was published and was an instant success. Her grandmother passed away in 1911, and Lucy Maud was finally free to marry the Reverend Ewan MacDonald, to whom she had been secretly engaged to for five years. She was then 35 years old. Sadly, marriage did not prove to be the escape from a lonely life that Lucy Maud had hoped. Shortly after taking up the ministry at the Presbyterian churches in Norval and a nearby Glen Williams, her husband Ewan began to suffer from recurring attacks of what was viewed at the time to be “religious melancholia." Convinced that he would be doomed to damnation for his mortal sins, Ewan was unable to sleep or to preach properly. He repeatedly tried to kill himself in a series of car accidents. Keeping her husband's mental illness a secret from the congregations became a constant source of anxiety for Lucy Maud. Eventually it was necessary to have Ewan committed to a sanatorium. Hoping to avoid the scrutiny of a small town life, Lucy Maud moved to Toronto and a house which she called "Journey's End". For years, it was thought that Lucy Maud Montgomery died of congestive heart failure at the age of 67. The need to maintain family secrets eased over time and in recent years Montgomery's granddaughter Kate MacDonald Butler spoke openly about the possibility that a deeply depressed Montgomery took her own life with a prescription drug overdose. Montgomery managed to keep the long shadows of her depression a secret from the world until the posthumous publication of her journals in 1985. Her loyal readers were shocked to discover the deep sadness that pervaded the private life of their beloved author. The house where Montgomery lived can still be seen in present day Norval. Yellow Rudbeckia and blue Russian Sage in the foreground. Flowers were one of the few pleasures in Montgomery's life. In Norval, she had a kitchen garden where she grew lettuces, radishes, peas, carrots and herbs. After her writing and housework were complete, she often spent spring evenings working with gloved hands in her flower garden. It seems only fitting a garden in honour of the famous children's book author has children at its heart. Located adjacent to the public school in the small village of Norval, the Garden of the Senses uses plants and other design elements to stimulate the senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Designed by Eileen Foley, Landscape Architect, OALA CSLA, the garden features a woodland trail, log bridge, an analemmatic sundial, children's vegetable garden, butterfly and bird garden. Yellow Rudbeckia and several varieties of Echinacea. A mix of shrubs, different ornamental grasses, Rudbeckia and Echinacea. The Spiral Garden leads visitors to a sundial at the centre of a gravel pathway. Here, the tall grasses that sway in the wind and late summer flowers are meant to appeal to senses of sight and sound. A few different varieties of Echinacea and a Maidenhair Grass, Miscanthus sinensis behind. Switch grass, Panicum virgatum with Russian Sage in the distance. Rudbeckia and a white Echinacea. Yellow Rudbeckia and Northern Sea Oat Grass, Chasmanthium latifolium The limestone patio and analemmatic sundial. The surrounding plantings appeal to our sense of touch and include soft foliage like Lamb's Ears. An analemmatic sundial reveals the changing pattern made by the Sun in the sky as seen over a period of a year. Lamb's Ears, Stachys byzantina has wonderful velvety-grey foliage. Hydrangea paniculata Daylily 'Frans Hals' Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals' has golden yellow and rusty-orange flowers. Full sun. Height: 55-60 cm (21-23 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches). USDA zones: 2-9. The Scent Garden features two adjoining semi-circles and incorporates fragrant plants like lavender. The bell from the town's original school. I am not sure of the exact identity of this Veronica, so I will give you reference to one that is similar: Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' has spikes of bright blue flowers and a medium green leaves. Remove spent blooms to encourage a second round of flowers in late summer. Full sun or light shade. Height: 20-30 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 2-9. A large pavilion provides shelter from the elements. A pond-less waterfall is a great option for a children's garden. A Butterfly Bush Raised beds in the children's vegetable and herb garden. Rudbeckia Colorful birdhouses and a bench from which to observe the birds making nests and raising their young. The school children must have such fun in this garden. Despite her husband's illness, Lucy Maud wrote in her journal, "I never loved any place so well except Cavendish (her home in Prince Edward Island)". I think Lucy Maud Montgomery would be proud to know that she has inspired something else that children would love. More Information and Links: Visiting the garden is free to the public. Here's a link to the Garden of the Senses website.
In this article we've sourced some of the best back garden ideas to turn your back garden into a cosy space. Check them out now!
Back in May, one of my co-workers shared a school-wide project idea that went viral on social media from Scarymommy.com. The project was a rock garden inspired by the book "Only One You" by Linda Kranz, and decorated the landscaping of Sharon Elementary School in Newburgh, Indiana. The garden was the idea of Jessica Moyes, who is the art teacher at Sharon Elementary. Jessica, your design has inspired multiple schools to create their own rock gardens within their own schools. Our school's parents were even sending links of this project to the principal requesting the garden! There's few posts from other bloggers and teachers talking about their rock garden installations at their schools. I'd love to share our story, along with the methods used in gathering materials, containing painting with K-6, incorporating all staff, and how to complete the installation. The Materials Thanks to Streamline Landscaping in Willow Springs, IL, we receive a few buckets of smooth rocks to use for our rock garden! The landscapers even came by to see how we were doing with creation, and donated even more larger stones for each class and department in the school. We also received a donation of acrylic paint and markers from Oriental Tradings! The donated materials really helped with supply management! Here's the materials you need to complete this project: 1. Lots and lots of rocks. Consider calling a local landscaping company and ask for a donation. The rock size can be your choice. 2. Table clothes. This was a life saver for all 31 of my classes who painted (700+ students). 3. Paper towels and paper plates. Tear up sections of paper towels for students to keep under their rocks while painting. Paper plates make it 100% easier to manage the paint messes and clean-ups. 4. A copy of "Only One You" by Linda Kranz. Easily found on Amazon, or other book sellers. 5. Acrylic paint. As much as it's scary working with acrylic at K-1 ages, it's the only paint that will stay on the rocks over time. Some acrylics paint on a little transparent, while others will be more opaque. Again, your choice. Here's the link to the acrylic paint used from Oriental Trading. 6. Paint brushes, cups, and water. 7. Permanent markers. If you photograph all artworks for Artsonia, or need to know who made what rock for grading, use permanent markers for students to write their names. Oh...and add room numbers too. It really helps with organizing. If you use markers for details, keep in mind that markers do fade over time. Here's the link to the sharpie marker set from Oriental Trading. 8. Acrylic clear coat. In order for the paint to stay as long as it can on the rocks in outdoor weather, you need to spray all the finished rocks with a clear coat for protection. For a safety note, make sure you spray outdoors and after school hours, because this smell can draft down the hallways. 9. Bins for storage. This is going to be heavy! For transporting from classroom to garden set-up, make sure you have plastic, durable bins to use for organization and transportation. 10. Aprons or old shirts. If you're doing this project with young students, you need clothing protection. The Objective The purpose of creating a community project was to have student leave a "footprint" in the school. The positive message in the final pages of the book is "There is only one you in this great, big world...make it a better place." All the students from grades K-6 were read the book and took in the words of wisdom shared. Each student painted their own "fish" rock with their own colors and patterns. The Project I allotted two full weeks for all classes to complete their rocks. Each of my classes are 40 minutes in length, and visit once a week. Prior to starting the painting, I sent a note home to each student explaining the project and materials being used. Since we had so many younger grade levels, I made a huge recommendation to parents to have their children bring an art shirt to school or an apron to protect their clothing. One parent donated a box of plastic aprons, which really helped with the younger grade levels! The teachers even helped with mentioning the extra art shirt in their weekend newsletters, which really helped!!! For prepping, I set up a plate of colors for each table. If I made the plates last longer than two classes, I called it a success. Kindergarten classes only received 5 colors (red, blue, yellow, green, white) because no matter what you do, the plates only last about 10 minutes of pure colors. Once the students see that colors mix, the plate very quickly turned to brown. On the first day of class, the book was read and we had a small discussion about the wisdom shared and how they can help in creating a garden for the school. For the rest of the class, the students painted their rocks. I organized drying areas for each class by placing colored paper and a painted large rock with the class name on it. When students finished painting, they placed their rocks on a paper labeled with their class. Students were also asked to sign a class rock that their fish will swim around. Since Kindergarten and 1st grade finished quickly, they were only given one day to work on the rocks. Afterwards, I glued a google eye to the fish. (The google eyes will not stay on for more than a few weeks. It's good for the beginning pictures, but it will not last forever with a glue gun.) On the second day of the project, grades 2-6 used permanent markers to trace out eyes, mouth, patterns, fins, and details in their rocks. Since this step only takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, I found worksheets on Linda Kranz's website that students colored and filled out. The worksheets can be found here. Remember when I said that departments also receive a rock? I painted fish rocks for the front office (administrators, nurses, secretaries), lunchroom, custodians, Title 1, ELL, Special Education, and Specials! They're mixed in with the class rocks below ready for installation! Now the fun part...getting over 7 bins of rocks and large river rock into the courtyard! With lots of helping hands, we transported all the pebbles to the courtyard so I could spray them with the acrylic clear coat. The custodians were also very helping in clearing out an area in our courtyard before installation! And the sign has been made... On the day of installation, students and staff were invited to participate in the installation process. ALMOST DONE!!!! And here's the finished project! Our school has been passing around the golden pineapple award for teachers sharing positive events in our school, and on the day the garden was being installed, a student dropped this award off in my classroom! Totally excited and honored to have this award for this project! It's for the entire school for their participation!!! SaveSave
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