The curiosity children display while playing outdoors is priceless. Exploring insects and wildlife, planting seeds and watching them grow can be a fun and muddy adventure. It can also be educational and healthy, too. Gardening is a great activity in which to get your kids involved. It teaches them responsibility and promotes a caring attitude. Many children find great joy and satisfaction in growing their own vegetables and then serving them up for dinner. Studies show that children who learn about the importance of eating healthy foods from an early age are more likely to be healthy adults.
As a family-based business with three young and very active little boys running around the nursery, we make it a point to have a kid-friendly environment at Warner’s Nursery. You’ll often see our kiddos along with other kids shopping with mom and dad, playing in the kids corner or selecting their favorite flower or vegetable to grow in their yard.
The combination of both parents and kids in the garden is an even greater bonding experience. Family gardening is a great way to spend quality time together. It can be fun, educational, entertaining and a great way to get some exercise. But what are the best ways to involve kids in gardening? It all depends on the age of the children involved. Younger children will get distracted easily so it’s best to start them with plants that have a shorter growing period such as bean seeds. In early spring, you can have them plant seedlings in trays inside or even a paper cup set in a sunny window. In no time, they will see green shoots coming up through the soil and be anxious to get their hands in the dirt and start a garden.
Older kids can help with container and full size gardens. Allow them to help with all the stages of gardening, from planning to harvest. Work side by side with them as you prepare the soil and plant the seeds. You can use the time as teaching moments – show them how different seeds look, talk about different growth cycles and the length of time each plant takes to germinate. You can even use it as a life-lesson tool to explain the cycle of life and death.
Sustainability and environmental stewardship can be taught in the garden as well. Natural methods of pest control can be taught, along with the introduction of organic gardening. You could explain the benefits of having certain bugs such as ladybugs and praying mantises in the garden.
You can even take your gardening one step further by teaching your children how to harvest the seeds to plant next year. Flowers are usually the easiest plants from which to get seeds. However, you can harvest seeds from vegetables like corn without much trouble. Allow some of the cobs to dry and then knock the kernels out and store in a cool dry place for planting next year.
One of our favorite and most requested gardening techniques is how to plant a garden that attracts wildlife. Whether you have a large property, an average backyard or a small patio or deck, you can transform your space into a peaceful wildlife sanctuary. Children can enjoy bird watching, chasing butterflies, smelling flowers or watching a frog or bunny hop across the grass with the simple addition of a few specific plants. Flowers and plants that provide berries, seeds and nectar are the easiest to begin with. Choose brightly colored flowers like the purple coneflower that produces enough seeds to feed birds well into the winter. Butterflies, hummingbirds and orioles love flowers with abundant sweet nectar. Perennial honeysuckle vines and the bleeding heart will attract these flying beauties. And of course, the easiest way to start attracting wildlife is to simply hang a birdfeeder with seeds or a hummingbird feeder.
Family gardening can be an educational and bonding experience. When children can watch the fruits of their labor go from seed to the dinner table, experience the joy of watching a plant they have nurtured blossom or attract the most beautiful bird they have ever seen, they learn the benefits of hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done. So, load up the kids and head on over to Warner’s Nursery to get your family garden growing – they’ll dig it! FBN
By Misti Warner
