Getting Kids into Gardening!

Growing up I spent a lot of time both in the greenhouse and in the garden. Much of our time as a family was spent in the garden and I have always looked back fondly at those times.  Over the years I continued to enjoy time in the garden and the greenhouse with my own children and I always enjoy seeing young gardeners come into the Garden Centre.

Children are great gardeners, they bring their natural curiosity and a willingness to explore which makes the experience fun for everyone involved.  In an age where we are often glued to electronics gardening is a great way to get everyone outside and to create lasting memories.

I am often asked what the best thing is to grow with children and my answer is this: anything! Any time that you get children, whether young or old, involved either in the garden, planting seeds or even in the care of your tropical houseplants you are sparking the interest in a life-long hobby.  Gardening is good both for the body and the mind, and this is true at any age.  I will however, pass along some of my favourite things to grow with children.

Marigolds are often the first thing I suggest to grow with children.  Starting these from seeds is an easy and fun activity for the whole family.  You can plant them in seed trays, or use Jiffy Peat Pellets. Children love watching the pellets ‘grow’ and they are easy to handle later on when transplanting.  Marigolds will begin to sprout within 7-10 days so they are a great option for young children. Older children may enjoy tracking the seedlings growth: you can create a chart and measure them daily, and compare different varieties to see which sprout, or even flower first. Marigolds are also durable plants that thrive all summer long so your family will be able to continue to watch them grow.

Growing fruits and vegetables is a great way to get your children involved in gardening.  Children love to see their food grow, and being able to eat the ‘fruits’ of their labour gives everyone a feeling of success and a job well done. Strawberries are a great fruit to grow with children, they grow quickly, provide fruit the first year, and are easy to pick.  Watermelon are another fun fruit to grow, but be sure to choose a variety that will have time to ripen during our growing season.  Tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, are another great choice for growing with children. They grow and ripen quickly, and are easy to pick which makes them a great snack.

As for vegetables you can really start anywhere! Bring your children with you to pick out seeds and see what they are interested in. they will want to try purple carrots, or a multi-coloured swiss chard.  Peas, cucumbers, and lettuce are a good place to start if you aren’t sure what to try. Root vegetables such as carrots or potatoes can be great surprises for children, digging out your potatoes is like finding buried treasure for a gardener.
For older children I like to suggest pumpkins. There are many varieties available, you can choose from mini, pie, white, traditional Jack O’ Lanterns, or even giant pumpkins. I like to mix and match a few varieties so you have a good selection, but by far the giant ones garner the most attention.  It is fun to watch the plants evolve from tiny seedlings into huge pumpkins, and children love to have their very own pumpkins out on display in the fall.  Your children may even want to enter their pumpkins or other vegetables in contests during the harvest season.

Herbs are another great place to let children explore. Let your children choose the ones they like the smell of and experiment by adding them into eggs, salads, on potatoes, or in soups and stews.  They may even surprise themselves with which ones they like!

Finally I like to remind families that you can garden even if you don’t have a lot of space. Gardens can be as big or as small as you like.  If you don’t have room for a garden, many flowers, fruits, and vegetables can easily be grown in containers.  There are also many community gardens in our area where you can reserve a space.

With the growing season fast approaching it is the perfect time to get your family involved in the garden.  Plant the seeds of a great family pastime now and you can reap the benefits all season long!