Perfect for those who enjoy sitting in the garden or gathering round dad’s braai, the grass pot-stool will keep your children excited to be seated.
They’re easy to carry, they look really cute, and the children can each have their own one. In light of Father’s Day, we bring you this exciting activity which can be done with dad (no green fingers required!) and the beautiful end product can be used again and again, spending time with dad around the bonfire or at the braai.
You will need:
- Galvanised steel bucket
- 2 bricks
- Drainage stones
- Some potting mix
- A tray of grass plugs (this can be purchased along with the potting mix, at your local GCA Garden Centre)
Get started:
- Place the bricks inside the bucket. Place the bricks side by side inside the bucket with their smallest side down. This is the best way to ensure the bricks don’t extend out of the bucket.
- Add the stones to the bucket. The purpose of the pebbles is to act as drainage for the roots of the grass, ensuring they don’t suffer root rot. Try to ensure the pebbles are placed to create a level that is fairly flat and even. Add the soil to the stones, keeping enough room for the grass, which will follow next! Remember the grass will grow, you can leave an extra centimetre or two to facilitate this growth between trims.
- Make holes in the soil around the bucket. Keep them close together. These will hold the grass plugs and eventually fill the bucket with a lush, cushy, grass seat.
- Continue planting grass plugs to fill the bucket. Work your way inward, planting each grass plug close to the next. Ensure the spacing is even and consistent. Keep going until all the plugs are used, or until all the spaces are filled.
- Grass pot-stool complete, just add water! A thorough spritz for hydration will be better than watering with a hosepipe or a watering can as the water tends to run off. Spritz in such a way that the water can seep well into the soil and nourish the roots well.
- Voila! Enjoy!
The grass pot-stool can be used as a seat. It is portable and can be moved to a new spot. It can also be decorated with gnome and fairy features, although this will naturally compromise its function as a seat. Add a handprint to the side of the bucket in a unique colour as a personal signature.
To celebrate Father’s Day, make a grass pot-stool for each family member (remember to choose buckets that can support an adult’s weight) and set-up a little bonfire, placing the grass pot-stools around the fire. Add child-safe skewer sticks, marshmallows, and of course, the man of the moment, dad.
* For more information on bringing Life to your Garden, visit www.lifeisagarden.co.za or join the conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa.