TIME TO GROW

Fun craft projects that creative kids will love

Flower petal shortbreads

Roses, lavender, nasturtiums, violas and herb leaves are all edible and suitable for pressing into sweet or savoury biscuits.

MAKES 16–18 biscuits PREPARATION TIME 30 minutes, plus chilling

COOKING TIME about 15 minutes

110g plain flour, plus extra to dust 50g each cornflour and icing sugar Zest ½ lemon, optional

110g cold butter, cubed

Edible flowers, herbs, such as mint leaves, or lemon zest, to decorate

Caster sugar, to dust

1 Sift flour, cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl or food processor. Add zest, if using, and butter. Then, either rubbing in using your fingers or pulsing in the food processor, bring together into a dough. Put on a plate, flatten slightly, cover and chill for 15min.

2 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Put a large piece of baking paper on a work surface and sprinkle with flour. Put dough in the middle and top with more paper. Roll out to about 1cm thick. Remove paper (you will need it again), and cut shapes using circle, star or other shaped cutters.

3 Using fingertips, gently press petals, zest, herb leaves or flower heads into the centre of each shape. Put the piece of baking paper back on top and gently roll over with a rolling pin. Remove top sheet, and place on a baking tray. Using a blunt knife, transfer biscuits to paper-lined tray, 2cm apart. Chill for 10min.

4 Bake for 10–15min, then remove from oven and sprinkle with caster sugar; cool on a rack.

Tomatoes are easy to grow from seed but you can also buy young plants if you prefer.

YOU WILL NEED

Small yogurt pots

Potting compost

Packet of bush (compact) tomato seeds, or small tomato bushes or compact tomato plants

Tray

Watering can

Bigger yogurt pots for transplanting Recycled, extra-large tin, about 25cm tall, clean and with no sharp edges or 1 large deep flower pot Bamboo cane

Gardener’s twine

HOW TO GROW

Make drainage holes in the bottom of each yogurt pot and fill with compost, then water. Sow one seed per cup and top up with compost. Your seedlings will appear about 2 weeks later. Carefully transplant them to larger pots when they are approx 8cm tall. Water the seedlings carefully and leave in a sunny warm place – tomatoes need lots of light. When plants have 3-4 leaves transplant into your large tin or flower pot, filled with compost. Water regularly and move outside when the weather is warmer. Tie the plants to bamboo canes with twine as the plants grow tall.

GROW YOUR OWN PIZZA BOX! Just plant tomato, basil, oregano, chives, chillies and onions together. Put small plants in an old trough, place in a warm sunny place and remember to water them daily.