This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro Gro-ables. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am excited to partner with Miracle Gro and their Gro-ables Project to bring you this neat idea!

It is Spring! Finally! While here in Ontario Canada we had a very mild winter, Mother Nature decided to throw us a curve ball and hit us with a wall of winter throughout April. Was not expecting that one Mother Nature – not one bit.

But we did manage that snow, which has brought us clear into May – also known as bug season.

Goodness I am sounding like a complaining Mama! I don’t mean to sound that way, honestly. I love Spring! The flowers and birds and baby animals all around. AND the no snow (especially that part.)

But those bugs. We get a heavy dose of mosquitoes each year. At some points throughout the summer they are almost enough to keep us indoors. And that simply cannot happen! Not when we are already quite indoorsy in the winter.

So this year I thought I would try potting herbs that are suppose to repel mosquitoes and keep those pots all around the climber and play area.

When we received our Miracle Gro Gro-ables I was thrilled to see a Lemon Basil seed pod. I had read on the Best Plants website that Basil is suppose to repel mosquitoes. As well, anything with Lemon is suppose to keep them at bay. So a Lemon Basil seed pod seemed like just the ticket.

I have no idea at all as to if this Lemon Basil plant will in fact repel mosquitoes. But by doing this activity with my little ones I am hoping to empower them. Mosquitoes and bugs are a big problem for their play. By giving them possible solutions that may help this problem, I am hoping to instill in them a desire to look for solutions and never give up.

Seems rather deep for mosquitoes, I know – but we are talking mosquitoes.

I thought we could turn this into a fun activity fitting for the Gro-ables project. It’s a great way to get my little ones outside, excited about nature and growing plants. Plus it’s empowering (and these little pods are guaranteed to grow – also empowering!)

I had my boys paint some planters black. I encouraged them to use their hands and really give it a nice and messy, sensory filled painting.

Once they were content with their pots, I stamped their painted hands onto a piece of construction paper.

After everything was dry, the boys filled up their planters with dirt from our garden, made a little hole for the seed pod, and popped that Gro-able right in.

These Gro-ables are just so simple to use! And the fact that they are guaranteed to grow make projects like this completely stress free (well, perhaps those incredibly covered in paint little hands added a touch of stress).

We cut out the handprints and used hot glue to attach them to the back of the planter. And finally we added big eyes to the front completing our “Buzz Off!” Planters.

The verdict is still out as to what the little planters actually are. Flies? Mosquitoes?

Of course it doesn’t really matter. It was the process that was important.

And will they keep those mosquitoes at bay? Time will tell, but I will most certainly let you know just as soon as I find out.

Do you want to join us?

If you are up for some simple seed planting and looking to get your little ones outside and into nature, join us with the Gro-ables Project

What’s your favourite way to get little ones outside and into the garden?