Send a Cow’s African Garden competition grows

Send a Cow’s African Garden competition for kids, is a great way to introduce gardening skills at a young age, or give those already green fingered a chance to show off their skills.

You don’t need much room to get stuck in, the African-style bag and keyhole gardens take up just a small amount of space to make the most of available soil and water.

As well as learning practical skills, kids can also learn why these techniques are important in other parts of the world and raise money for Send a Cow’s work in those areas - and just as importantly to them, get up to their armpits in muck.

Leading organic gardener Bob Flowerdew thinks it’s a great way for kids to learn about healthy eating and some big global issues. ‘It’s great to see a new generation gardening, and we should be doing everything we can to encourage it,’ said Flowerdew. ‘If everyone did this, the world would be a better place.’

The £9.99 bag starter kits includes entry to the competition and come with instructions, so if the gardening bug has skipped a generation or two, you can learn alongside your child.

New additions this year include sunflower kits, which come with sponsorship forms if little ones want to ask friends and family to sponsor them to grow their sunflower as humungous as possible. And also tip taps, which is a challenge for kids to get creative in designing an outdoor hand-washing device.

All profits from the 2008 African Gardens competition will go towards the work of Send a Cow.

The competition is open to children 14 and under - schools, classes, year groups, families and individuals can all enter. More info here.