August 2012 / September 2012 | Backyard Adventures

- For the Virtual Magazine Click Here | August 2012 / September 2012 article in Home Magazine.

- For the PDF Click Here | August 2012 / September 2012 article in Home Magazine.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.

August 2012 / September 2012

Engage your child’s senses with their very own garden adventure.

An invitation to play

From the tiny mailbox to the playhouse doorbell that really works, this children's garden installed in South West Gainesville beckons children outdoors for hours of playtime. Gardens inspire a sense of wonder and whimsy. The goal for kids is to engage all the five senses by providing an environment to use their imagination in a place of their very own. Try these ideas.

Feel...Watering the garden or carefully helping daddy trim the roses both require a steady hand.

Smell...Kids love exploring the different scents of herbs and flowers.

Sight and Taste... Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables they grow themselves. The sweetness of a ripe strawberry proves irresistible when planted along a garden path.

JON GEORGE is the owner of Cottage Gardens Inc., a Gainesville based landscape design and installation firm. Jon has been gardening in North Central Florida for more than thirty years. You may contact his staff at www.TheCottageGardener.com or at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.