Kids and Gardening
A great place to grow!

Getting the youngest generation interested in gardening can be as simple as giving them some quick sprouting seeds and a small patch of ground to work with. We find that gardening opens a whole new world to children. They take an interest in the wonder of living things, the earth, and their community. Here are some simple suggestions to aid in children's gardening endeavors:

Lynne and Courtney helping in their mother's vegetable garden.

Children love spending time with their parents or grandparents
(at least when they're little!) Countless times I would be in the garden and inevitably the children would end up beside me, mimicking whatever activity I was doing. This is a wonderful way for them to learn to garden. Parents and grandparents may be surprised to find that they too will learn something from their children in the garden. Kids have a wonderful way of looking at things in a different light. This time spent in the garden is one of the best ways to spend quality time with your children.

Enroll your child in a child's gardening program.
Our community was fortunate to have a "Little Sprouts, Junior Gardening" program at the local library. The children enjoyed tending to their seedlings each week until it was time to plant in their gardens. The program had an added incentive - a ribbon and a prize. If you are unsure if there are any programs in your community, check with your library or the local garden clubs in your area.

Give them their own gardening plot. This gives them their own little spot that is their sole responsibility. I allow them to grow whatever plants they want. There are cute children's seed packets that entice the kids to try plants they normally wouldn't try. I do recomment sunflowers and other bright colorful flowers such as zinnias. Keep in mind that the smaller the child, the larger the size of the seed, the better. Little hands have a problem with small seeds. I prefer not to assist the kids with their garden space, it is their own. If weeds grow, well, weeds grow. This is as good a time as any for kids to learn "you reap what you sow".

Sarah waters her garden.

Kids like instant gratification.
There's a news flash. Plant fast growing seeds that germinate quickly. Radishes are especially helpful because they can be harvested quickly and the kids get great satisfaction of "feeding" the family at suppertime. Beans and sunflowers are another hit because the children can recognize them sprouting easily.

Pumpkins - a must.
My children have grown pumpkins in every size imaginable, from the smallest to the largest. My experience has shown that pumpkins are the children's all time favorite plant. Be prepared for the bragging about the enormous pumpkins they've grown. I've always enjoyed listening to the comments from the children on the school bus as it passes by. It is worth the space they take up in the garden, for they do take up a lot of the garden. An added bonus is they last past the gardening season.
Enter their pumpkins - or other plants for that matter - in local fairs. Lynne has won ribbons for her flowers at the Topsfield Fair. My kids also have decorated their pumpkins and put them on display at the Harvest Festival in our community.

Scarecrows - a great project
Simple to make and fun to look at. Just nail two boards together in a cross and plant it in the garden. Add some great old clothes such as baseball caps, bonnets, aprons, overalls - make it fun and different, and you've just made a funky friend for the garden.

Bean Pole Club House
Use several long sturdy branches to form a teepee shape with an opening in the front and tie with twine at the top. The children will then choose a vining plant or plants such as pole beans or morning glories at the base. It's fun for the children to grow both something that is colorful, such as flowers, and edible such as pole beans or peas. It is best to have the children plant their "house" so they feel it is their own. As it grows, the kids will go in and out of it. It's their own secret hiding place.

Build a Toad Abode
Invite these wonder critters into your garden. They are beneficial to the garden as the consume hundreds of slugs, flies, grubs, cutworms, and mosquitos. Need I say more? It's a very simple process to entice these friendly amphibians into your child's garden. Find a terra-cotta pot with a large chip on the rim (large enough for a frog to enter) or use a hammer to chip away at the rim leaving an opening of at least 2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inch high. Then place the pot upside down in a shady spot near the edge of the garden or flower bed. Top the pot with a terra-cotta saucer to make the roof. Place water nearby in a shallow saucer, sunk into the ground near the toad abode. It may take some time for the toads to find the shelter, but don't give up. Once they find what an inviting garden habitat they've it is, they can stick around for up to twenty years. Just remember that toads eat mainly insects. Avoid using pesticides and poisonous chemicals, which of course makes sense in a child's garden.

Root'n Look Box
Here is a simple and cost effective way for children to start seeds for their garden and observe the growth of seedlings. Carefully cut off the top and one side of an orange or milk carton. Poke a hole in the bottom for drainage. The kids can have fun decorating the box in any design they like. They can cover it with drawings, wrapping paper, or stamped paper. Their imagination is the limit. Remember to leave the top and one side open and don't cover the bottom of the box. Line and secure the open side with a clear piece of plastic, such as one from a gift box or the transparency film used at the office. Fill the box with potting soil (not soil from the garden) and plant with a few seeds, being sure to plant several seeds close to the plastic film. The kids will be able to observe the growth of the plants above and below the soil. Keep the soil moist while the seeds are germinating.

Children's tools
Many books recommend buying children's tools, however I prefer the quality tools available for the adult. Many manufacturers produce smaller model garden tools. I think they are studier and safer than some of the children's tools I have seen.
I highly recommend Wilcox trowels. Yes, I know they are unattractive, but they'll last longer than I ever will. My children have their own collection of quality hand tools. These same tools will grow with them for when they own their own garden.

Petal Power Oohs and aahs will abound if you decorate the top of a cake using sugared flowers from the garden. Simply have the children pick healthy, unblemished petals from roses, nasturtiums, violets, or any other edible flower. Dip them in room temperature water, shake the excess off gently, and sprinkle with fine sugar. These look fabulous on top of a cakes, cookies, or even as a garnish for the dinner plate.

Tasty plants are a great motivator. Great examples are strawberries and sugar snap peas. I don't think I ever had a sugar snap pea that made it to the dinner table. My children would play in the garden and grab a snack off the vine and continue on their way. Do I mind? Of course not. They are the healthiest snacks they'll ever consume.

Sarah and her Mom planting together.

Bird Wreath This simple and easy project is sure to make a hit. Start with any size grapevine wreath. With floral wire, wrap shucked corn, whole sunflower heads, orange slices, apple slices, and/or pinecones that have been spread with peanut butter or suet and rolled in seed onto the wreath. Not only will this look fabulous; the birds will love it. The children will not only be proud of their creation, but will enjoy watching the birds eating it.

Pesticides - don't use them!
I'm a firm believer of organic gardening. Would I want my kids running around in chemicals? Absolutely not. Nor would I want them ingesting them.

Garden Journal A wonderful keepsake for both parents and children is creating a garden journal. Provide the children with paper, crayons, pens, and pencils and allow them to create a record of their gardening experiences. The children record their garden activities throughout the year. They can write the size and color of each plant. Create a page that contains a rain/watering chart. Another page could contain pressed flowers. Compile all these papers in a notebook, preferably one with a clear cover and label the cover with their name, time frame, and drawing of their garden.

Sun protection - another must
Remember to add a sunscreen and proper clothing when they're outside. Also remember to protect against ticks, if you are in an area that is prone to Lyme disease. Long pants and shirts are necessary if working in tall grasses.

Dried flowers crafts
The kids have learned that the proper time to pick strawflowers are just before they open. They clip them, wrap an elastic around the bunch, and hang it from the ceiling. The kids can use them to make flower arrangements, decorate pumpkins, make gifts, the list is endless.
Note: Although I use silica gel to dry most flowers, I would never allow the children to work with this chemical.

Press flower pictures
It's as simple as having the children pick any flowers or foliage they like and lay them in an even, single layer in an old telephone book. You can use several pages in each phone book. Weight the book down with some old bricks or another heavy object. In a short time they are ready to use. Use a toothpick and a little glue to gently dab a tiny drop of glue on the petals before pasting them on the paper. They'll love making the pictures. Just be sure you have frames near by. They'll love showing off their masterpieces. These also make great gifts.

Bird houses are a wonderful addition to a garden. I remember the three of us hanging out the small bathroom window to watch the baby birds leaving their bird house for the first time in a downpour. Birds and other backyard wildlife are fascinating to watch and give children an appreciation of nature. Kids also enjoy building and painting the bird houses for their own gardens. Just be sure not to paint the interior of the house. The house needs to be of proper size and material to ensure a family will move in. Just check our Bird House site if you have any questions.

Briana and Lyndsi picking cucumbers from their garden.

Gathering seeds
Have the kids collect them, put them in a regular envelope, label them, and put them aside. According to their germination time, pull them out, and have the kids sowing the seeds in their windows the next gardening season.

Winter's Mittens and Boots
This idea was emailed to us and we loved it. Plant your children's out-grown winter mittens and boots with plants for the summer. Hang the mittens from fence pickets or posts. Rubber boots will look great beside the door. Remember that rubber boots will need a drainage hole in the sole. This is a great way of making winter's memories into summer ones.

If you have garden ideas or suggestions for children's gardens please let us know by emailing the DDGC. We love to share the joy of gardening with everyone!

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One day when my children were very little, I observed them stirring their sand pail feverishly in their sand box. I asked them what they were making. They had found the "beer traps" I had put out to collect the slugs. They poured all the cups into their little sand pail. They proudly told me they were making "slug soup". Yum.

January 2005