Book Review - Children in the Wild garden!

I was asked to take a look at this book for Popular Crafts magazine and i was pleased because it looks right up our street, or should i say, garden! We do have a 'relaxed' attitude to gardening anyway, and as some one who educates her children at home, I was looking for a few fun, wildlife friendly ideas! The book is shown in more detail in this months issue, but more about that in a later post!



My wild children and I put on our wellies and headed outdoors with the book, on what was rather a gorgeous day for the middle of October! We already have a hotel for bees to stay in, so i felt really pleased, and this ivy at the back will make the perfect place for one of the books suggestions, hiding an old tea pot for mice and birds to nest in!



The book had strong, lively diagramic illustrations and really good photos graphs showing some of the things you might find, experiments to try and children busy in their wild gardens. One of my 5 year olds kept saying, 'oh wow, oh wow!' as she turned the pages, delighted!



We decided to go on a hunt for mini-beasts, the book explained that not all little creatures are BUGS, so I have learned something straight away!



This hollow in our apple tree actually contained what looked like soil and a few happy woodlice! Plenty to try the woodlice experiment then!



We have plenty of old rotting wood, and under one log, those woodlice had chewed themselves some rather lovely bedrooms - very impressive!



Under a second log was this rather impressive earth worm!



And LOTS of his friends, too!



and under a plank by the shed door we found a rather lively lava, who would hardly keep still for his picture to be taken!



This is a book that will keep us busy all year round, as we think about new life and new growth in spring, and caring for our little wild birds in the cold wintertime!