Clematis
Gardening is what I love to do in the spring, summer, and fall. Gardening with my grandkids just makes it more fun.
Watching my granddaughter and grandson check the blossoms on the high bush blueberry plants, look for green strawberries, walk the raspberry row, and play and laugh in the yard is good for my soul.
For a while now, I’ve been reading a blog that originates in England, http://greenbenchramblings.wordpress.com/. I enjoy reading and seeing pictures of their gardening projects at home and at their allotment.
One of the things that caught my eye was a hotel for beneficial insects. They showed pictures of several and then photographed others on their trip this month to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show.
We have a bat house, bee block, several bird baths, numerous bird houses, and a large variety of plants to attract beneficial insects already so why not an insect hotel. I enlisted my husband to build us the structure with wood he repurposed from the barn, and I painted some of it with leftover paint we had in the garage. Then the grandkids and I decorated it.
We set it out where the lawn ends and the wooded area starts. Hope you like it because we sure had fun making it.
Now we’ll hang out an open sign and see who stops by to reserve a room.
Hotel
Moss roof
Insect Hotel
Grandson looking for potential guests
This post has been linked to the GRAND Social blogging event.
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
I love it! What fun for the grandkids too! Bug hunting is a favored passtime with my grandkids too. Thanks for linking up with me at Say It Saturday!
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What a wonderful idea. That certainly not something we could do living in the city but it is fun to read about and I love your photos!
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Such a fun idea. I can see doing this in my back yard. We considered a bat house then chickened out, for fear my daughter would balk at attracting bats around her children. I’ll be directing her to your blog for proof of how cool such things can be, including this insect hotel. Thank you!
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What a beautiful way to teach your grandchildren to respect nature and all living creatures!
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Thank you. I’m going to try your pumpkin tent. I also read your posts about gardening and shade. Have you considered a cherry tomato plant that could grow in a pot in a sunny location. My grandkids love cherry tomatoes that they can pick and pop right in their mouth.
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I love your photos! You really capture everything. Awesome!
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What an artistic and interesting project to do with grandkids!
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You know I didn’t think of this before but I’m going to Pin that on Pinterest! Love it.
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My granddaughter loves helping me in the garden. I’m teaching her the different names of plants.
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Has she made a Fairy House for some nice shady place in your garden? My granddaughter loves to make fairy houses. Thank you for visiting.
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How do you make fairy houses?
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Thank you for asking. All you need to make a fairy house is a grandma, a grandchild, and a vivid imagination. I’m including a link to our local Fairy House Tour which we have participated in for five years. If you have any questions after looking at the site, please ask. My granddaughter and I love fairy houses and are more than happy to share information. Send us a picture if you make one, we’d love to see it. http://www.fairyhouses.com/eventspage/about-fairy-houses/ I’ll see if I can email you a picture of our 2011 fairy house. Fun, fun, fun.
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Thank you so much. A fairy house tour?! Love it!
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Lovely post. My bee hotel is buzzing this morning. The heat from the sun has caused hundreds to hatch and emerge to feed on nearby comfrey and ceanothus.
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My granddaughter loves to be out in the garden with me, but has a fear of bugs. I am going to do this with her so she can “welcome” her buggy friends! I am also excited to try making a fairy garden!!
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Oh, when my granddaughter was young, she had a summer where she was scared to go outside because of bees. We bought a bug house, magnifying glass, an insect encyclopedia, and we were off to collect and identify. And, fairy gardening is so much fun. Enjoy and share pictures.
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Love this idea. I am going to share it with my husband. Thanks!
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AWESOME!!!!!! you should really pin it!!
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What a terrific idea.
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Our son’s first word was “brock – li” toddling along behind is gardener father. Now, his son loves to garden with Grandpa and pick flowers for the house with Grandma:)
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