Kids love tree houses, playhouses and pretty much everything that’s somehow linked to games and playtime. Well, we have some good news for you and your kids or nephews/nieces… You can build a living playhouse. You read that right. A living playhouse.
Sadly, kids spend most of their day in front of a computer playing games. Blue screens are too much for their small brains and vulnerable eyes.
In this article, we will give you a few ideas, and we bet your child will love them. Make team a cute little garden house. It’s the latest trend on the Internet!
The Runner Bean Teepee
It’s the easiest to make of all the living playhouse ideas available on the Internet.
You need:
- 10 long bamboo canes or tree branches (6ft long)
- Runner bean seeds
- Garden twine
- Chicken wire
- Grass or clover area in the garden
How to make it?
First, poke the bamboo canes into the ground in a circle. Make sure they form a teepee! Leave enough room between two canes. That’s your door. Secure the top using twine, wire or anything string enough to hold the bamboo.
Cover the teepee with chicken wire. Next, dig a 1-foot garden bed around the base of the canes, and fill the hole with compost/manure.
Make two 2-inch holes at the base of the canes, and plant one runner bean seed into each hole.
Add water, and fill the hole with soil. Water again. Use organic slug pellets to protect your seedlings from slugs. You can also remove them every night without using any product.
Do this until your plants reach a height of 6 inches. You can also start the plants in pots, and transplant them in the soil once fully grown.
Wrap the shoots around the canes and secure them with a string. Cover the base of your runner bean plant with wood chips, mulch or lawn clippings to lock the moisture in the soil. This will also prevent weeds from coming out. Water your plants regularly.
The Willow Den
Willow tree branches make the best fences, chairs, tunnels, teepees, domes and whatever you plan to build.
“Just stick long willow branches directly into the ground, tie them together into the desired shape and they will root and grow, producing a cover of green leaves over the structure,” Blue Stem Nursery explains.
You will need:
- 1 large bundle 1, 2 and 3-year-old green willow rods (6ft or longer)
- Weed-suppressing membrane or straw
How to make it?
Place the weed-suppressing mat where you want to build the playhouse. Make holes through the membrane to make room for the rods. Plant the 3-year-old rods.
This is the main frame of the den and the “door.” The 2-year-old rods provide vertical support, and 1-year-old rods offer diagonal weave. The top of your structure will be open at the beginning, but new growths will gradually seal it.
You can “enrich” your playhouse with sweet peas, grape vines, sunflowers and other fruiting plants. Herbs are also a good option. Use varieties that repel mosquitoes naturally.
