Gardening With Your Kids
Every passionate gardener would consider their garden to be a special place. That’s way sharing it with your children or grandchildren makes it extra special! Many of us were introduced to gardening by a parent or grandparent who probably taught us a lot more than just about gardening. Children seem to have a natural curiosity about growing things and working alongside you can help them develop an interest in something whose benefits can last a lifetime.
Children love to play and one way to interest them in gardening is to combine planting with playing. Who doesn’t enjoy “digging in the dirt” so why not get them to help you prepare the soil to get the garden ready for planting? Small hands can help plant bigger seeds like Beans, Corn and Zucchini and many companies make sturdy shovels that are made for the hands of a child. After all, every gardener needs the right tools, don’t they? Take the opportunity to teach them how to use the tools safely and how to take care of them so they will last. Finally, nothing is more fun than harvesting what you grow and kids are great at helping you pick your vegetables. Just tell them which Carrot to pull up or Tomato to pull off the vine and you’ve got yourself a happy garden assistant.
As kids get a little older you can give them their own garden space. If they’ve outgrown their sandbox why not try converting it into something for them to plant in? If you live in an apartment or condominium than introduce them to container gardening. Give them advice along the way, but if the seeds aren’t planted perfectly that’s ok. The key is keeping the garden easy to maintain and let them decide what they will grow. You might suggest they plant vegetables that grow quickly such as Zucchini and Cucumbers. You can add some flowers like Marigolds, Zinnias and every kid’s favorite, the Sunflower! Vines are also fun for kids to grow. Why not try growing Pole Beans along with the Sunflowers that can provide support for the vines? If you have enough room they can even try to grow their own Halloween Pumpkin.
Another way to make gardening fun for kids is to help them grow a garden with a theme. If your child likes Italian food plant a garden with Tomatoes and Basil. If they enjoy Mexican food they could grow a garden with Peppers and Cilantro. I can almost taste the salsa! If they have space they can grow Zinnias and Cosmos for flower arrangements you can have in your home from early summer into the fall.
Gardening teaches so many things to our kids. They can share what they grow with their friends and learn good manners including why you should walk on the pathways and not step on the soil. Weeding and waiting for seeds to sprout teaches them patience and gardening is a great exercise for all of us. Here is a cute idea we saw at a botanical garden - Create Your Own Plant Zoo. This year why not encourage your kids to garden and start them down the road toward a lifetime of fun!
