How to Build a Garden Play Hut With Sunflowers & Stones
One of the best things about using pebbles and stones for landscaping is how low maintenance they are. Strong and durable, they need very little care. The round, smooth textures are ideal for projects, with a variety of beautiful colors to choose from.
If you have children, a great way to get them involved in home gardening is to have them build their very own natural play hut. Now, don’t worry- we’re not telling you to hand your 8-year-old a power drill! Actually, for this easy hut, you don’t need any tools at all.
Just 3 easy supplies will build a whimsical hut that your kids will love.
What you’ll need
- One or two packets of sunflower seeds. You’ll want to choose varieties that grow at least 6 ft. tall.
- One packet of morning glory seeds.
- A bag or two of landscaping pebbles
This is what you do
Start out by digging a shallow horseshoe-shaped bed in a spot that gets ample sunlight. Plant the sunflower seeds with enough space to let the roots branch out for tall growth.
Why: The sunflowers will grow in tall clusters, filling in the horseshoe-shaped bed and serving as the hut walls.
Watch as the hut magically grows
Next, just sit back and watch the sunflowers get taller and taller. You can plant the morning glory seeds with the Sunflowers in the bed. This climbing plant will use the sunflower stalks as a ladder to reach upwards.
Why: Use a bit of twine to tie the large blossoms of the Sunflowers and pull them together to form a dome shape. The morning glories will grow over the top to create a roof.
Get creative with pebbles, stones and Fire Glass
Finally, you can decorate your flower hut as you so desire. Garden pebbles make a wonderful floor. Spread them out evenly inside the hut.
Why: Landscape pebbles are smooth to the touch and add a decorative accent to the hut. kids will have fun searching through the unique stones to find their favorite colors and designs. Plus, pebbles are a great way to help soil retain moisture and to prevent soil erosion.
Other decoration ideas include small potted plants topped with sparkly Fire Glass, outdoor cushions or a small table set is great to have tea parties. Make strings with beads, colored glass or sea shells and hang them from the roof.
Bonus Project: Have your kids choose a couple of flat pebbles and let your them paint their favorite designs on the flat surfaces. Once they dry, you can use them to decorate the hut.
Further tips
- Corn is a great companion plant alongside sunflowers, creating “thicker” hut walls.
- You can grow a soft “carpet” on the floor of the hut by planting white clover where you desire.
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