Kids gardening in July – Making a Cement Planter

Family Time in the Garden

Family time is so important. In the blink of an eye, your kiddies will be all grown up, so it’s essential that you spend as much time having fun with them, creating memories to always look back on.

Take one day out of your child’s busy holiday schedule and spend some time bonding over a DIY project planter – one everybody can be involved in! It’s time to create, get outside with your kids and have fun while doing it.

What you will need:

• Fine sand
• Cement
• Water
• An old bucket
• A scraper or old trowel
• Rubber gloves (2 x pairs)
• Old newspaper/an old plant drip tray, covered in foil
• A medium-sized succulent in its original plastic pot
• A piece of hessian cloth, cut to the size of the plant pot you have
• Smaller succulents to go around the bigger-sized plant
• Stones
• Potting mix
• Mini chalkboard and chalk
• Some shells or beads

Here’s what your family needs to do to make this perky planter:

Parents please remember that although the kids are helping you, keep the harder jobs for yourselves – we don’t want any tears, cuts or sores while the family is getting their creative juices flowing on this little project.

1. A few days before you would like to plant up the container, start by helping the little ones to take the large succulent out of its pot, keeping it in the original soil. Place it aside.
2. Take the pot from the succulent you’ve just put aside, brush or wipe the outside to make sure it is free from sand or dust. Turn it upside down and place it on the foil-wrapped drip tray. Cover the pot and tray with the hessian cloth.
3. The next step is to start mixing the cement in the bucket (Parents, you may like to do this step yourself and save yourselves from washing dirty kids’ clothes!) The mixture should be 3 parts sand, 2 parts cement and 1½ parts water.
4. Mix the cement until the mixture is quite sloppy, like a thin milkshake. This allows for it to be poured easily over the hessian, leaving the pot in. You could opt for a thicker mixture – made with less water – which will mean you are able to remove the hessian sacking and cement from the pot.
5. Put on some gloves (both yourself and the kiddies) and start pouring the cement mixture over the hessian. Get your little ones to help you spread the mixture in each and every corner of the hessian, making sure it all gets covered.
6. Make sure you will be able to pick up the planter, once dry, by clearing away the excess cement from the drip tray. Place this excess cement into the bucket.
7. After removing your gloves, get creative. Help your children to decorate the planter with the shells. Go wild and let your kids get those crafty juices flowing. Create a star-shape by placing and pushing the shells into the concrete, leaving the shells to dry in the mixture.
8. Once the cement is dry, the planter is ready to be removed carefully from the drip tray. While the adults turn the planter around to get it ready for planting, let the youngsters throw the foil away.
9. All together now, line the bottom of the pot with the stones followed by a layer of the potting mix. Remember to leave about 5cm for the larger plant’s roots.
10. In the centre of the pot, help the little ones to plant the large succulent. Once the large plant is settled, plant the smaller plants around it, making sure to cover the roots with soil.
11. To finish off the perfect planter and the perfect DIY family day, get your kids to write anything they like on the chalkboard and stick it into the soil for a sentimental touch.

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