Hens n Chicks

A Cluckin' Garden in a Pot

By Diana Dickinson Davis

Here's a little garden in a pot that's fun, easy-to-plant, and sure-to-grow. Some of the easiest plants to grow are hen-and-chicks. Their real name is Sempervivum but they're nicknamed hen-and-chicks because over time, the larger "mother" hen plant grows smaller "chick" plants. Before you know it, the little chicks grow so big, they can be divided from the hen and moved to new spots. Check out the pointy leaves on each plant or rosette. They come in a bunch of cool colors like jade green, scarlet red, and even silver. Best yet, hen-and-chicks don't need tons of care, just well-drained soil.

Strawberry jars, with their little holes along the side, make nifty nests or holes for growing hen-and-chicks. Plant our cluckin' garden in a pot in about 20 minutes and you'll be on your way to a non-stop supply of hen-and chicks! Here's how you do it:

Materials:

• one strawberry jar,
• 6 hen-and-chicks plants,
• potting soil.

Step-by-step:

1. Add potting soil until it reaches the first level of holes.
2. Plant a hen-and-chicks in one of the pockets. If you have a bunch of different sized plants, use the smaller plants for the holes on the side. Keep adding plants to all the holes.
3. Fill the container to the top with more potting soil, then plant the remaining hen-and-chicks in the top of the pot.
4. Give the plants a little drink of water, and wait for your chicks to multiply!

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