We all know where our food comes from, and how gardens grow and contribute to the world around us. However, I’m sure it’s not just my kids, but a little bit of my soul dies when I realise that my kids don’t make the connection between farming, growing food, and the fruit and veg that we load into our shopping trolleys and present on a plate at home. So it was extremely timely that we were asked to review the Mud and Bloom box which is a monthly gardening subscription box that arrives in the post and had just about everything you need to get your kids gardening!

In the same way that I am trying to teach my kids that cash doesn’t just come from the atm machine, you actually have to put money into the bank for them to keep safe and you can only take out what you put in, I am also trying to teach them that the food they eat comes from somewhere, and again, you reap what you sow.

Farm To Table

It has coincided nicely with the fact that my youngest daughter in Year 1 is also learning about ‘Farm to Table’ at school. I really enjoy it when I can contribute to her learning in a practical way at home.

With that said, we live in the suburbs. If we were living on our beautiful plot in Zimbabwe (where we thought we were building our forever home) the girls would have access to the orchard we planted, the free range chickens and their eggs, as well as the extra land to plant a full veggie crop.

Sadly that dream is not our reality and living in a beautiful small Yorkshire village has meant that we have to find other ways to teach them where food comes from. I mean, Aldi is great … but you know what I mean.

As an aside, you can get help for your garden from tree expert Louisville. They offer great gardening and tree services.

Enter: The Mud and Bloom Box!

Mud and Bloom offer a gardening subscription service. You can sign up to receive a Mud and Bloom box through the post every month. The box contains all you need and more to get your kids outside, planting their own food, growing their own flowers and generally learning all about gardening in the comfort of their own home.

The creators behind Mud and Bloom wanted to enable children to learn about gardening and for it to be something that is accessible for everyone. So whether you live on a lovely farm or a flat in town, there will be something for everyone in their subscription boxes. And don’t worry, here’s a helpful guide on how to grow vegetables in your garden without losing other uses of your garden.

mud n bloom box

What’s In The Box?

When our first box arrived and I explained to the girls what it was all about, they were so enthusiastic. Here’s what the April Mud and Bloom subscription box contained.

There are so many different activities in each pack. From creating your own bracelet using beads to explain the water cycle, to drawing chalk lines around puddles to show how the water evaporates. The girls have loved every single activity in their boxes. The April one had a little checklist of plants, and the May one had a bee identifier included. Every box is also geared to the season so you will be sent the right thing at the right time of year.

We try and keep our boxes environmentally friendly by sourcing plastic free materials and packaging and using certified organic seeds where possible.

Anja – Creator of Mud and Bloom

How Does It Work?

Mud and Bloom offer subscription boxes either as singles or sibling boxes. And you can choose whether you just want to pay month to month, or sign of for a 6 months subscription, or a year’s subscription.

The month to month single box is priced at £11.95 per box and you can cancel at any time. For more details on their packages, please do check out their website.

Growing Our Own Carrots

The one that they have been the most invested in is the planting and growing of their own carrots. We moved house about a month ago and so we chose to plant our carrots in planters instead of into our garden so that we could be sure we could take them with us. Check out the video to see how we are getting on.

The Water Cycle & Evaporation

One of the other activities in the April mud and bloom box that the girls really loved was the chalk that was provided and we drew shapes around a puddle and then waited for it to evaporate to teach the kids about the water cycle.

Wheat Grass

And the other big hit was the Wheat Grass. I think this one was super exciting for the girls because of the speed with which it grew. Do check out the YouTube video to see just how much more it grew after these pictures!

May Subscription Box & Activities

The May box contained different activities.

The girls are busy pressing their wild flowers to make their own bookmarks, and the planted poppies are starting to grow.

I really can’t rate the Mud & Bloom subscription box highly enough. The girls have loved receiving their complimentary box in the post for the past two months. We will definitely be signing up for the next few months.

Please share this post with your friends and family. It’s really such a great educational opportunity for our kids.



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