GARDENING FOR CHILDREN

Aug 1, 2013 by admin

Remember years ago when you were young, you probably had a father figure, which could have been your own father, uncle, aunt, or a neighbour. What I really mean, is someone who carried out a hobby or some type of work and, because of it you looked up to and admired them, in asking your child that they may like to try gardening, being older they would probably look to you for help and advice, they may have already started by asking you why you do this or that in the garden, so with a little help and guidance from you their interest in gardening will grow giving them further excitement and a hobby which will help them in later life, when they have a garden of their own. They also may start to do some of the chores for you!!

Children like gardening although this may be in  diguise, in other words children like digging be it in the  garden or on the beach, so to launch them into gardening children will need tools that are more appropiate to their size,  for instance it would be difficult to use the standard size of  fork etc., so consider purchasing them a small trowel or hand  fork. There are many good suppliers around, your children  will then learn even more of how to garden, give your child  their own special place to keep the tools.

If at all practical you should give your child a plot of their own which they can garden, say about 3 feet by 3 feet, but you should also take into account the age of the child as a small child will need a smaller area than a child of, say 11 years so they can do their own gardening  and grow their own things, alternatively allow them to work with you in  your garden as you do in the way of hoeing, planting or whatever the work, try explaining to them the importance of the garden in the way of butterflies or bees and the way pollination takes place, treat this with them as a whole new adventure while you carry out your gardening with children. When you decide to garden with your child show them how nature helps to grow various plants in certain positions, whether it be for space, shade, or due to the height it will grow.

As you decide to help your children to garden, pick for them easy items to hold such as bulbs or larger seeds, and let them dig the the hole necessary, explaining to them the necessity of water in the garden and on theplants, and how too much water could destroy the plant or seeds. Some people suggest that children, when gardening, should be allowed to just sprinkle the seeds over the garden, that is fine if you want a full bed of radish or poppies, but we must be practical in our approach to advising children on gardening.

Now we must show your children how much fun there is in gardening, by taking a jam jar or other glass container and line with blotting paper or tissue,place a seed such as a pea or a bean between the paper and the glass container add a little water, and ask them to check the container every few days to see how it is growing, this being the easiest way to explain and show them nature at work and how the plant would grow in the garden, the child will also feel that they really have grown something themselves, once this show plant has established itself, continue with your example by then showing them how “their” plant should be planted in the garden, at the time also select plant/s they could sow or plant at the same time, suggest something easy, perhaps a flower such as nasturtium, as they are perfectly harmless, providing you have not used pesticide or chemicals on them, ( little fingers tend to feel everything and afterwards fingers are put into their mouths!!).

In all your explanations and instructions to your child keep it light, as technical instruction on gardening will tend to put them off and bore them, try turning it into an adventure, try showing them seeds and plant catalogues suggesting what they might like to plant in the garden, as these tend to be colourful your child may pick something that they would like to grow, but beware, you may have to gently explain to your children about growing lilly of the valley or buttercups in the garden, (as these plants can be dangerous or poisonous). Try persuading them to grow things like sun flowers (for they will see the terrific height they can grow to), alternatively buy a few tomato plants of different varieties as these are another fast growing plant, where you can show your children how to support a tall plant, and explain to them the necessity of nipping out the tops, also you can indicate to them when tomatoes form the difference between a ripe tomato and those which still need to grow further.

You may also point out to your children the little visitors that call to inspect their garden such as the birds or butterflies. In all of this tuition make gardening with your young  children a memorable adventure as their plants grow so do your children, when their own plant has grown encourage them by saying “they did it themselves”. As your children look up to you, so you will see their reactions, and I hope this little adventure will make you and your children GROW CLOSER. (Do also remember your children are our  gardeners of the future.)