Juice Box Garden Stakes

HOW TO DO IT

• Decide which vegetables, herbs or flowers you and your child would like to plant.
• Make sure it is the correct season or growing zone for the plants you have chosen. You can reference a gardening book or visit a gardening site online to help you with your choices.
• Once you have made your decision, take a field trip to your local nursery where you can buy seed packets or seedlings. The nursery can also give you planting instructions.
• Now you are ready to make your garden stakes.
• Wash and dry empty NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE drink boxes. Use one box for each stake.
• Cut off the bottom portion of the juice box.
• Using a craft glue gun, glue a jumbo craft stick to the back inside of the box. The craft stick should be about 1 1/2 inches up into the box in order to leave enough of the stick available put into the ground.
• Spray paint each garden stake with a different color, let dry. It may take two coats to cover the box thoroughly.
• If you have planted from seeds, use the pictures from the seed packages to decorate the outside of the garden stakes. If you have planted seedlings from the nursery, cut out pictures of your chosen plants from magazines and glue these to the outside of each garden stake.
• You can also print and use the garden stake template above or have your child create their own drawing that can be cut out and glued to the outside of each garden stake.
• Now plant each seed or small plant according the seed packet or nurseryman's directions and insert your garden stakes to remind you and your child of what you planted.

• Empty NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE boxes also make great containers for little indoor gardens (see Mini Herb Garden under related activities).
• Find an easy recipe to make with your child using the herbs or vegetables grown in your garden.
• Talk to your kids about the food pyramid. Show them how growing and eating fruits and vegetables is fun to do as well as being an important part of developing healthy eating habits.