Linda's Garden:
Gardening with Kids

Visit my new Column at Suite 101--The Kid's Garden!!

Gardening with kids can be a wonderful adventure or it can be pure frustration. It's all up to you, the adult, to make certain the kids have fun and learn while doing their tasks. Choose activities that are of interest and appropriate to each child. Try to pick garden jobs that the kids want to do (and ask to do!) . There are times, when my son can't help as the plant is too delicate or the seeds too fine. Then I find other things he like s to do, such as pull radishes, pick tomatos or beans, spread mulch, dig holes in the compost pile, pull a wagonful of seedlings around to the beds, run errands, whatever.

Don't expect that your young child will be a vigilant weeder (although I'm sure some are). I try to teach Jimmy which are weeds and which are our seedlings. Then I let him pull a few weeds and he's ready to do something else. He also takes play breaks when he needs a change. My 2 year old niece, Raenie did not see much gardening time this year. She played outside in Jimmy's Bean TeePee and to picked some flowers for bouquets. She likes pulling a tiny wagon around especially when I put a few small flowers or sticks in it. She has pulled a few plants out and mangled them a bit, but we make sure we have plenty of seedlings (we plan for such rough handling, by planting lots of extra seeds). She loves to be part of planting, and so sometimes she and Jimmy will dig holes in a freshly tilled bed that I'm not ready to plant yet. Other times, they pick rocks and give them rides in their wagons. Sometimes Raenie rides in Jimmy's big wagon. They both love rides in the wheelburrow too.

This year Jimmy had a TeePee in his garden surrounded by annuals and sunflowers. He still plays in his TeePee (even though the beans, etc are gone. He enjoyed his proximity to plants and insects. His birdhouse gourds did not get big this year (due to strange weather), but the beans grew well. He also added Morning Glories and Moonflowers to brighten it up even more. We made some stepping stones for his garden so he can get into his TeePee without sinking in the mud (or squashing his flowers). One step stone has his hand prints and one has his foot prints. It sure was fun! Other years his garden has grown an assortment of marigolds, zinneas, nasturtiums, petunias, and various sized sunflowers. This year we expanded his garden size so he could have a TeePee. Maybe next year we can do a sun flower house. Then again, he really liked the TeePee and is already talking about a bigger one for next year. We'll see what happens!

Be sure to help your child participate in local flower show and county fairs. Jimmy has so much fun displaying his flowers and having his grandparents take him to the show to point out his flowers. He gets quite a few ribbons in the children's divisions (and in the adult divisions too). These shows are often looking for more participants so watch for them and join in.

Please e-mail your suggestions for gardening with children . I will include them and attribute them to you (if you give your name) as space and time allow.

Jimmy's garden early in the season

Hints for making gardening fun

• Get good quality child-sized garden tools.
• Have the child make a special ornament for his/her garden. Jimmy & I made a scarecrow out of his old clothes, a metal stake, and a stick. An old ball covered with a plastic bag became the head. He considers it the "ultimate in garden ornamentation".
• Pick seeds that are easy to handle and plants that are easy and reliable such as Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Zinneas, Scarlet Runner Beans, Sunflowers, etc.
• Plant the children's garden over several days, if necessary to maintain attention.
• Start seeds inside under florescent light for slow growing flowers, especially in northern areas. Kids enjoy having things growning.
• Plant the child's name using alfalfa seed or grass seed planted in a tray of cotton fluff or potting soil
• Have child decorate a styrofoam cup as a face. Fill the cup with dirt and plant it with grass seed. As the grass grow the child can give it "haircuts".
• Make stepping stones for the children's garden that feature their hand &/or foot prints from concrete (add fiberglass filaments to strengthen for cold weather durability).
• Grow a carrot tops by cutting off all but 1" of the carrot(potatos, sweet potatos, other root vegetables work as well). Stick 4 toothpicks into carrot around sides and place over a cup of water with the carrot slightly into the water.
• Plant orange seeds to start an orange (grapefruit or lemon) tree for in your home.
• Save seeds of flowers (marigolds, sunflowers, etc)or vegetables (beans, pumpkins, etc.) to plant next year. Place seeds on paper plates until dry and store in a sealed jar until planting season. It is good to learn that we don't have to buy seeds, we can find them and save them.
• Take cuttings together from ivies, geraniums, or other easy to root plants.
• Plant a terrarium together in an old aquarium or large glass bowl.
• In the garden, children like extremes. Plant huge sunflowers and other large plants in one area. In another area grow tiny plants-maybe make a "fairy garden"!
• Share stories from Sharon Lovejoy's books SUNFLOWER HOUSES or HOLLYHOCK DAYS. She has wonderful flower stories to pass onto children.
• More to come

© 1997, 1998, 1999 Linda's Garden

updated March 15, 1999

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