14 May 2013

Hanging Planters Hung

The first hanging planters have been hung on the wall! Now to see if the paint lasts...

08 May 2013

Tree Haikus

For my Forest Schools portfolio, I've been working on some tree flash cards with photos, description, folklore etc To give them a little something extra, I've also written a little haiku about each of the trees which I thought I'd share with you.

Ash

Large black buds burst open
To reveal pink coral blooms
Which make seeds like keys

Beech

Sharply pointed buds
Trunk like an elephant's leg
Bears edible nuts

Elder

Small scented flowers
Turn to rich purple berries
Hang from gnarled branches

Hawthorn

Delicate flowers
Berries and leaves bread and cheese
Knotted wood bears thorns

Rowan

Altitude lover
Leaves pinnate and serrated
Bears bright red berries

Sycamore

Flowers dangling
Five fingered leaves with red stems
Helicopters spin

Oak

From acorns they grow
Can live for a thousand years
House many species

Horse Chestnut

Big brown sticky buds
Conkers come from spiky shells
Pretty pink flowers

Field Maple

Lone English Maple
Helicopters tumble down
Soft edged green leaves grow

Birch

Peeling Silver skin
Delicate leaves tumbling
With winter catkins

06 May 2013

Milk Bottle Planter project - improvements

 I started working a little while ago to create some colourful hanging planters to go in the community garden I'm working on from recycled milk bottles (see original post here) so I thought I'd give a little update on developments and improvements I've made. I'm currently working with a wildlife and gardening theme - so fruits, veg and animals!

I have been working with acyrilic paints - which probably aren't ideal for painting onto a plastic surface but mostly I'm just working with materials that are easily available to me! Acrylic paint does have a tendency to flake off a little and if they're to stay outside they they need to be varnished to withstand water.

creative garden projects planter milk bottle
Froggy planter gets the waterproof test!

creative garden projects recycled planters
Finished planters get a few layers of this spray varnish to protect them from the elements
creative crafts for the garden
Hedgehog and froggy planters
So far I've done a hedgehog and frog as examples and I'm working on an elephant. 

creative garden projects recycled planters
Can you tell what it is yet...?
The idea is to do this activity with different groups so I've been working on ways to make it as easy and effective as possible. Now I'm going to prime the milk bottles with white acrylic paint to help the coloured layers to adhere better and which should also make it easy to draw a simple design in felt pen before starting to paint.



I'm hoping to make animal planters with the after school gardening club I'm running but I'm saving it for a rainy day activity... Of course I'm hoping that we'll be able to have as much outside time as possible - but when the inevitable rainy session arrives I'll get a chance to try it out as a session!

29 April 2013

Forest Schools Photo Diary - Days 4 & 5

forest schools bush craft
Mallet making using a bill hook

forest schools cordage bush craft
Using bramble to make string

forest schools bush craft fire kelly kettle
Firing up the kelly kettle for a brew!

bush craft fire cooking
Cooking cake in orange halves on the fire...

forest schools campfire cooking
... and the finished results - yum!

forest schools shelter camping
Bed for the night

forest schools wood craft
Making artists charcoal on the fire

forest schools fire lighting
Continuing to practise fire lighting

forest schools ecotherapy
Getting to know a tree - the all seeing eye!

forest schoools tree exploration
Exploring trees - a squirrels eye view

21 April 2013

Forest Schools Photo Diary - Day Three

forest schools rope skills
Learning to tie a timber hitch

forest schools shelter building hitches knots
Using our newly learning hitches and lashing to build a tripod

forest schools fire lighting skills
Using King Alfred Cakes to start a fire

forest schools fire lighting skills
Glowing King Alfred Cake