Home Grown (part 2) by Alison Stodolnic

On a dry summer's day, gardening can seem very appealing, especially if you get the children involved and take lots of breaks to have drinks and admire your work. Whether your outside area consists of a few paving stones and a window box, a modest family garden or acres of Cheshire countryside, gardening can be fun.

BEDS AND POTS Gardens explode with bright colours at this time of year. Hardy bedding plants - that you might have grown from seeds in the spring or bought as small plants from a garden centre - are best put in to flowerbeds and pots around June.

STILL TIME FOR SEEDS Although many seeds should be sown between March and May, you can still do it now. In fact biennials (which will flower next year too) are best sewn between June and July, so it is not too late! Wallflowers are gorgeous and come in lots of different shades. Sweet Williams are popular biennials too (and particularly amusing for children who know someone called William).

GIVE THE PLANTS A DRINK Assuming there is no hosepipe ban, and it doesn't rain non-stop, keep your garden happy and healthy with regular watering. This activity can keep children busy for a long time (or a few minutes anyway, depending on the size of your garden and the length of their attention spans). Be warned however, that watering cans may be a good idea for some: at a tender age, the urge to spray a hosepipe over the next door neighbour's fence, or in your kitchen window, may be just too overwhelming.

DAISY CHAIN This simple activity can keep children busy for hours. All you need is a patch of grass with lots of long stemmed daisies to pick, and a sharp thumbnail. Just split the stalk halfway down and thread the next daisy through. The children can either work together to make a really long chain, or have a competition to see who can make the longest.

RECYCLE FOR THE SOIL You can make a compost heap all year round but the best time so start is late spring or early summer, and it will be ready by autumn. Compost is the result of plant waste, moisture, warmth, air and micro-organisms that fester together over time to make a healthy food for your soil. The children will like the job of throwing waste on to the compost pile to keep it filled up. DO include grass cuttings, dead leaves, weeds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable peelings, used pet bedding and eggs shells. DON'T include cooked food, meat or bones. Go online for tips about the best containers (it needs to be covered), stirring and turning it, adding soil and knowing when it is ready

Most importantly of all, have fun, and don't forget the sun cream!