So many people worry about making their garden a fun and play orientated environment for their children. It can be hard to encourage children to get outside and play – and with all the health scares we see about our children daily it is no wonder we are concerned about them getting outside and being more active.

Children love to be outside, but making your garden somewhere suitable for your children to play can be a difficult task. Here are some ideas for getting the children outside more, and adding features which will not only make the garden child friendly but also add a stylish and aesthetically pleasing touch.

Wendy houses can be a brilliant way of giving your child a place to play. Not only will it allow them to have their own space, but it will also give them somewhere to hide and shelter if it starts to rain. It will also keep their toys out of the weather, without you having to drag them in the house every time they finish playing with them.

Having a playhouse or Wendy house in the garden can be a perfect hideaway, and with the variety of beautifully hand-painted wooden playhouses available now – just like the one shown here from Big Game Hunter’s playhouse shop – they do not have to be an eyesore in your garden. You can almost look at them as a miniature shed for your child, although they are a lot more appealing to look at than a boring garden shed! A Wendy house is also a great place to develop the imaginative side of play – it can become a shop, a creative house for doing crafts in, an ice cream parlour or a tardis in one of Doctor Who’s adventures!

Cheap plastic is a thing of the past now there is such an extensive range of wooden toys and play equipment to choose from. As well as being more hard-wearing than plastic versions which can easily split and crack, wooden toys fit into the landscape of a garden so much better, and blend with a more natural look. They also look a lot more expensive than they are so will add a touch of class without breaking the bank.

Climbing frames, see-saws and wooden sandpits are all great ways of enhancing your garden – both to make them look good and also to give your children so many more reasons to be outside playing. The range of these things has increased, so they can be bought at lower prices – meaning you get a lot more for your money.

You may still feel that all this play equipment may dominate the garden – but a great way to incorporate a playhouse or climbing frame, is to carefully position it within the layout of trees or bushes that you may have. If you are planning to create a more leafy area in your garden do this with the children’s play things in mind. There is nothing better than having a playhouse concealed in amongst bushes and trees – it will give your children an even more magical feel to their playtime. Ultimately you will give them no reason to be inside and it will be almost impossible to drag them in at teatime or bedtime!

Q.2. State what is meant by the following terms:

Technique
Season Negative effect

Sample Answers:

State what is meant by the following terms:

‘primary cultivation’;

Primary cultivation involves operations, which cut and shatter the soil with relatively deep penetrating tools (15 cm to 75 cm) and leave a rough surface texture. It may include digging and preparation of the soil. It may include single or double digging, and may be carried out by a mechanical rotavator. During primary cultivation, the soil is inverted.

secondary cultivation’.

Secondary cultivation involves operations, which pulverize, level, and firm the top 5 cm to 15 cm of soil. Secondary cultivation is carried out to produce a fine seedbed or planting bed, ready for sowing seed or planting.

Complete the table below by:

Season
Negative effect

Primary Cultivation

Season – late autumn/winter or early spring

Negative Effects – Primary cultivation should not be carried out when the soil is waterlogged or frozen, as this can damage the structure of the soil. Primary cultivation in late spring or summer can lead to excessive moisture loss.

Secondary Cultivation

Season – spring or summer or autumn

Negative Effect – secondary cultivation at the wrong time (for instance, during winter, when heavy rain or snow showers are possible, or when the soil is frozen can damage the soil strucutre, or cause collapse of surface tilth resulting in the formation of a ‘cap’.

For further information:

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=202

Examiners’ Comments:

a)i) Those candidates who were able to include key words e.g. initial, invert, single or double digging or rough rotavating were awarded full marks.

a)ii) The best answers stated that secondary cultivation is the preparation of the soil for planting or sowing and that the soil is not inverted. It is a type of surface cultivation where an even/uniform tilth is required.

b) Most candidates were able to specify the correct season when each technique is carried out i.e. late autumn/winter or early spring for primary cultivation and spring or summer or autumn or during the growing season for secondary cultivation.
Negative effects for primary cultivation included loss of soil moisture and collapse of surface tilth resulting in the formation of a ‘cap’ for secondary cultivation. It was important for candidates to relate the negative effect to the soil for full marks.

Green thumbs know that gardening is never just gardening. It’s abstract art. It’s landscape design and architecture. It is about combining the right colours, tones, shades and textures into a stunning visual palette and then fusing that floral palette with the surrounding space. With their colorful Koi ponds, soothing water features and intricate stonework, the Japanese have set the bar for Zen-like outdoor spaces. However, in order to create an innovative garden you don’t need to start sculpting bushes into animals like they do at Disney World, or plant a row of magical seeds like Jack and the Beanstalk. Vertical flowerbeds are a cutting-edge way to make your backyard look like a modernist painting.

Optimising Colour, Texture and Space

From agro-towers to hanging plants, vertical gardening isn’t a new concept. It’s said to have originated sometime during the Roman Empire. Many of the historic palaces and formal gardens in Europe have a vertical feature. I recent years, ‘living walls’ have also begun to make an appearance in many of our towns and cities. While such large installations can be costly and complex to construct, it’s possible to create a small living wall for your garden quite simply with a few basic materials. Whether you have a small garden or just looking to do something artistically innovative, vertical gardens optimize colour, texture and space.

How to Construct a Vertical Flower Bed

Constructing a vertical flowerbed is like assembling a frame for a picture or a painting. First, you need to build the framework out of wood. The shape and dimensions of the bed are up to you. Second, you need to fit and secure a back panel – this should be water resistant to ensure that water from the planting does not have an impact on your wall. After that, use a staple gun to secure a wire mesh screen. Finally, pour compost into the frame and pack it around the wire mesh. Finally, plant the flower bed – you can then hang it up, just like a painting, on the side of your house, garage, fence or whatever outdoor place you see fit. Where you decide to hang the flowerbed will enhance its overall aesthetic effect, as the eye will automatically be drawn to the background as well. In other words, the vertical flowerbed is going to look better hanging on a brick-lined porch than a swath of vinyl siding.

Now What Do You Plant?

If you’ve gone the extra mile to create an exotic flowerbed, then be sure to fill it with plants and flowers that are out of the ordinary. In other words, you might have to specially order some flora and fauna instead of relying on the traditional flowers at the nursery. You can order some breathtaking specimens from around the world; obviously, you’ll need to understand their ideal growth environments and be sure to check the shipping quotes, as certain plant choices may cost more than others. Small succulents would give your flowerbed a desert topiary feel. Traditional nasturtiums would also look beautiful. They have a longish vine and are similar to ivy, but have heads of bursting colour.

The vertical flowerbed is the type of feature that will have all your friends forgetting about the hot dogs and hamburgers at your garden barbecue this summer. They will too busy standing in front of your new exotic design, tilting their heads and contemplating it like a painting in the Museum of Fine Art.

Q.7. a. Name the site of aerobic respiration in the cell.

c. State how anaerobic conditions determine the efficiency of respiration.

Sample answers:

a. Name the site of aerobic respiration in the cell.

Aerobic respiration occurs in the mitchondrion, which is an organelle found within the plant cell.

b. State the basic equation for aerobic respiration in words.

Carbohydrate + Oxygen -> Water + Carbon Dioxide + Energy (ATP)

c. State how anaerobic conditions determine the efficiency of respiration.

Anaerobic respiration does not need oxygen. It happens when there is not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, for instance, in a waterlogged or compacted soil. Here is the word equation for anaerobic respiration in plants:

glucose → ethanol+ energy

Anaerobic respiration is less efficient than aerobic respiration, and much less energy is released. This is because the glucose (or carbohydrate) is incompletely broken down. In addition, ethanol, the by-product of anaerobic respiration is toxic and builds up in the cytoplasm, eventually leading to the death of the cell.

You can find further information about respiration in plants on the following pages:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/respiration-in-plants/114.html

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/141.html

Tour of plant cell:

Plant cell organelles:

Examiners comments on this question:

a) Most candidates were aware that the site of respiration is the mitochondrion. Some candidates stated ‘mitochondria cells’ incorrectly as mitochondria are organelles within living cells. A few candidates named various plant tissues. Long statements and descriptions were not required in this section of the question.

b) Candidates who provided the correct equation with all the inputs and outputs in the right order were awarded full marks. Glucose/starch/carbohydrate and oxygen are converted to carbon dioxide and water with the release of energy/ATP. Energy was commonly omitted from the word equation even though this is the key output.

c)Those candidates who stated that anaerobic respiration means ‘without oxygen’ and that the efficiency of respiration is reduced were awarded marks. Marks were also given where candidates provided some explanation of why this occurs i.e. carbohydrate is incompletely broken down so less energy is released; ethanol is a by product which is toxic and that this will eventually lead to cell/plant death. Additional marks were awarded where candidates included a situation in which anaerobic conditions occur e.g. waterlogged/compacted soils.

If you are thinking about building a greenhouse, remember these three things: warmth, light and moisture. An effective greenhouse provides these elements consistently using tools such as lights and heaters to ensure healthy growth year round. Greenhouses come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but regardless of design, make sure to include warmth, and moisture in your DIY greenhouse. The following tips will help you create an effective growing-environment for your plants.

Location, Location, Location

The location of your greenhouse is crucial. You can put the greenhouse anywhere, but ideally, you want to make use of the natural elements as much as possible. This means sunlight, not shade. Pick up spot that is level for optimal growing land. Remember that dogs and greenhouses don’t mix, so stay out of high traffic areas like sidewalks and your dog’s favorite part of the yard.

Foundation

You will need to set up a simple foundation. It does not have to be fancy; a square made from landscape timbers will provide adequate support. Cover the ground inside the timbers with landscape fabric to help keep out weeds and then fill the square with gravel for drainage.

Frame

When it comes time to build the frame, a store-bought kit comes in handy. Kits contain premade pieces that snap together to create the structure. If you decide to go without a kit, you will need to follow the instructions accurately unless you have experience in building design and construction.

If you opt for a complete DIY greenhouse, you will need materials such as pressure treated wood, fence posts or even PVC piping to complete the structure. Elements for the walls and the ceiling can include safe glazed panels or UV stabilized polyurethane plastic. Stage the greenhouse with a work area for potting and plastic or fiberglass shelves to hold your plants.

Temperature

Keeping plants warm during the winter months is an absolute necessity. The greenhouse should be kept at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the cold season. If your building is large, you might consider gas heaters for a long-term solution. Set heaters at a safe distance from the plants and then place one or more thermostats in key locations away from both the door and equipment to get an accurate reading of temperature.

The structure should have vents in the ceiling to help circulate air during the hot months. In addition, you should use fans or an evaporative cooling system to keep the heat out during hot summer months. These small evaporative units are similar to air conditioners, but less expensive to run.

Lighting

If you picked your location right, you have plenty of natural light, but you will need to add more. Ideally, you want the plants to have light at least 12 hours of sunlight a day. You can purchase plant grow lights or hang a socket three feet above the seedlings. Use a 125-watt high-pressure sodium bulb instead of the standard light bulb to simulate sunlight.

Humidity

Maintaining proper humidity can be a challenge in a greenhouse, but hand misting should be enough for small areas. Keep spray bottles full of water around the room. As it starts to heat up, misting will add just enough water to the air. Larger structures might benefit from a watering and misting system. If your greenhouse is in an area that will accommodate a waterline, you can set up overhead misting with timers. Use the same line to create an irrigation system that will keep the soil moist but not flooded.

A greenhouse is a lot of work to put up, but once it is running, not that hard to maintain. If you are a gardener at heart, building your own greenhouse gives you the chance to grow all year round in a plant-friendly environment.

Holly is a dedicated green advocate and vegetarian. She loves keeping up with her garden and encouraging others to start their own gardens. She blogs on behalf of Sears and other great brands in her spare time!