Last March, when Spring first lingered in the air, my daughter caught a whiff of the damp earth and immediately thought of her garden. "Can we plant mashed potatoes this year?" she asked. I laughed and said we could try. We've never grown potatoes, but why not? Gardening with my children has been a great learning experience. Sometimes we figure it out, sometimes we don't. But, most importantly, we share the experience and have fun along the way. Here are some tips for gardening with children:
- Children garden "in the moment." They enjoy the end result, but they enjoy the process even more. They love dirt, worms and especially watering cans. Don't worry about results – just let them explore. The flower they dig up may survive, and it may not. They learn a lot from "mistakes."
- Give children their own space. My children have planted flowers in an abandoned corner of our yard. They've grown purple vegetables in half barrels on our driveway. Patio containers make a great hummingbird garden. You don't need a big yard. Be creative with the space you have.
- Don't worry about making an elaborate plan. The year my daughter planted in the abandoned corner of our yard, I let her choose which flowers to grow. Some of her choices needed a sunnier spot, but we gave them a try. Her little corner turned out to be the prettiest part of our yard!
- Plan a garden based on your children's interests. One year my daughter planted a "Wizard of Oz" garden: red petunias for the ruby red slippers, yellow marigolds for the lion, dusty miller for the tin man and straw flowers for the scarecrow. Your child's favorite color can guide your plant choices. Plant a pizza or salsa garden. A garden full of plants to attract butterflies can be a fairy garden. Plant a rainbow.
- Celebrate your child's garden. Any small success is worth recognizing! Show it off to visitors. Throw a garden party and serve treats from your harvest. Plan a garden scavenger hunt. Serve dirt cake in the garden. Enjoy your little piece of Earth.
- Check out these books for inspiration: "Gardening With Kids" by Catherine Woram and Martyn Cox, photographs by Polly Wreford. Ryland, Peters and Small, 2008. "I Love Dirt: 52 Activities To Help You & Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature" by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani. Trumpeter Books, 2008. "A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children" by Molly Dannenmaier. Timber Press, 2008. "Eddie's Garden and How To Make Things Grow" by Sarah Garland. Frances Lincoln Limited, 2004. "Grow It. Cook It. Simple Gardening Projects and Delicious Recipes" by DK Publishing. 2008.
- For more ideas, check out the following websites:
- www.kidsgardening.org
- http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_gardening_children.htm
- http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/springfieldcenter/hort.html
Now you're ready to get growing! Have fun playing in the dirt!
Submitted by Springfield Moms reader Noel Scott.
