Grow Your Own Morning Glories – Garden Craft Kit

Combine STEAM and nature studies by adding a flower garden activity to your Spring activity calendar. Your group will learn all about Morning Glories with our EduCraft® Morning Glory Gardens Pack

This craft is a very easy and fun way to incorporate a STEAM lesson into your classroom, after school program, camp or even with your senior residents as a great Spring themed craft. For educators, by combining the science of growing plants and the creativity and personalization of their art work, students will be excited and engaged in the learning opportunity presented for weeks to come as their flower grows.

Nature has a way of slowing us all down for a minute and helping us to be present and divert our attention outside ourselves. Living plants and the beauty they offer can have a whimsical feeling and also create excitement around cause and effect; If I water this plant, this will happen. If my plant gets sunlight, this will happen.

These types of crafts are critical nowadays when our world is so focused on digital technology. The Morning Glory Craft Kit can provide a sensory-awareness for partipants.

Activity:

Grow these flowers from seeds, color the bird plant decoration, and plant the Morning Glories in the garden once they grow tall enough.

Educational Lessons:

Support the activity with some educational ideas. View our Marigold Flower Garden – Educational Craft Kit for Spring blog for 8 different lesson plans to go along with a garden craft.

Age group: 5 and up
Project time: 45 minutes

View the easy printable version here. 

Facts about Morning Glories

Morning Glories open each morning and welcome the day! The funnel shape flowers bloom in colors and shades of white, blue, purple and yellow. They have lush, heart shape leaves and vines that reach 10 feet or more. The vines grow best when supported with a trellis. Round seed pods hang in clusters from the vines. Morning glories will reseed themselves year after year. They prefer full sun and sandy soil.

• In the language of flowers, morning glory signifies unrequited love and affection.
• The Moonflower is a type of morning glory whose flowers are opened during the night.
• There are around 700 species of morning glory that originate from tropical parts of South, Central and North America and tropical and subtropical parts of Asia.

Your kit contains:

• Compostable paper pots
• Bird Plant Poke
• Soil Pellets
• Markers
• Morning Glory Seeds

You will need: 

• Scissors
• Spoons
• Plastic Wrap
• Rubber Bands
• Water
• Large Pan or Pail

Optional: Outdoor Sealant

Each person should have a compostable paper pot and a bird plant poke. The markers, soil and seeds will be shared among the group.

Planting Morning Glories

Preparation Instructions:

Seed Preparation (24 to 48 hours in advance): Following the instructions on the seed packets, soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 to 48 hours before planting for best results.

Rehydrate the Soil Pellets: Place soil pellets in a large pan or pail. Expand the soil pellets by adding 1 cup of water for each pellet. Wait for expansion to occur. Add more water if the soil is too dry. This step can be done ahead of time or as part of the project activity – whichever is best for your group.

Color the Plant Poke: Use the markers to color and design both sides of the plant poke. Optional: Using the outdoor sealant (following the manufacturer’s directions), seal the plant poke.

Plant the Seeds:

1. Fill the pots almost to the top with soil. Water soil so it is damp.
2. Plant 2 to 3 seeds in each pot, following instructions on the seed packet.
3. Measure and cut a piece of plastic wrap about 5″ x 5″. Place plastic wrap over the top of each pot. Secure in place with a rubber band.
4. Place pots on windowsill with partial sunlight. Remove the rubber band and plastic wrap after the seeds have begun to sprout (about 5-6 days). Keep soil moist.
5. When plants are 1″ tall, place pots in direct sunlight. Turn pots a little each day so the flowers receive equal sunlight. Keep the soil slightly damp at all times. The plant poke can be used to trellis the growing plant if you’d like.
6. When the plants are about 5” tall, and the weather is appropriate outside, you can plant the entire project in the garden. The compostable paper pot will break down over time. The plant poke is used as the marker in the garden for the Morning Glory. Use some sticks as a trellis to support the growing morning glory vines.