If you take the time and follow these simple tips you will discover that gardening can be an enjoyable activity for kids and parents alike and a great way to spend some quality time together. If you share your joy of gardening with your children when they are young and it's a pleasurable experience, there is a good chance they will make gardening a life long hobby.  

Planning

When making gardening plans, include your children in the process and provide an area for their own little garden plot. Take them to your local library or bookstore to look at gardening books. Visit your favorite gardening center or botanical gardens for ideas on what plants grow easily in your area. Consider a theme garden, as it will offer a guideline for what to plant. Themes can be based on books you and your child have read such as Peter Rabbit, or an ABC Garden. It can be based on an idea like a Fairy Garden or environmental issues such as a Butterfly Gardening or Native Plants. The possibilities are endless.

When gardening with children your role should be that of a facilitator not as a leader where they just take directions. Discuss what type of garden they would like and then together select a mutually agreed upon site for their own little garden. Help them to draw up a plan to show how big their garden is going to be and where to place the types of plants they want to grow. I would encourage them to start out on a small scale, choosing plants that are mainly fast growing and hardy. Children usually start off full of enthusiasm, but to keep them from getting disillusioned and lose interest make sure to provide them with several projects so they can get started immediately and stay busy. Keep a journal and a scrapbook of pictures about their garden. Don't forget to include pictures of them working in the garden. It is fun to look back from year to year to see how the garden and kids have changed. 

Plant Selection

When selecting plants, choose plants that are not only fast growing but also ones that will appeal to their senses. Children have exceptionally good sensory perception and will appreciate plants that have satisfying scents, colors and textures. Let them choose the colors even if they choose combinations that clash. The most important thing is for them to take ownership and feel the garden is really theirs. Include plants that have interesting textures such as the velvet soft touch of lamb's ear or a tree with unusual paper like bark. Don't forget plants that offer a variety of smells. The Herb family offers a variety of plants and scents. They can be collected, dried and used for cooking or made into potpourri that can later be given as gifts. (Maybe for that favorite grandma or teacher) I would consider having both flowers and vegetables in their gardens.

Kids love to pick flowers. How many bouquets of dandelions have they brought home? When selecting flowers, a big hit with kids are giant sunflowers. A fun activity is to put a stake in the ground next to the plant then estimate how tall it will get and then record the growth on the stake. See how close they came to the actual size. When planting flowers mix colors and heights to add interest to the garden. A good rule of thumb for adult gardens is to plant tall flowers in the back and shorter ones in front. With children don't be too rigid about height; Mother Nature doesn't conform to gardening rules and neither should you. I would pay attention to how much sun the garden will receive and select plants accordingly. You want the garden to be successful and sun is an important consideration. For year round interest in the garden plant a combination of grasses, perennials and annuals that bloom at different times of the year.

Vegetables offer a variety shapes and sizes from a tiny pea to a large pumpkin and are easy to grow. Carve their name in the pumpkin while it is small and watch what happens as it grows. Include vegetables and fruits that children can snack on such a sweet peas, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes or berries. Climbing type plants such as pole beans make great Teepees for a secret hideaway. Plant a few  non-traditional types such as purple beans that turn green when cooked or Roly Poly zucchini. Try growing your own popcorn and popping it on some winter night. 

Planting

Enlist their help in preparing the site. Kids love to dig holes! Visit your local gardening center for tools and gloves that are sized appropriately for children. Rich, fertile soil will provide them with the best results. If necessary add compost and manure. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil and break up any lumps. Teach your little gardener to work from the back of the garden toward the front so they don't compact the soil they have just worked. Dig your garden to a depth of around 6 to 12 inches and level it with a garden rake.

Referring to their garden plan, place stakes to mark where the plants are going to go in the garden. If they are going to be planted in rows, mark the rows with stakes and string. This will give the children a guide to follow when planting and a visual aid to prevent stepping on those newly planted seeds or plants. Add any garden ornaments such as steppingstones, birdbaths or scarecrows. Making whimsical items for the garden can be good projects to do while waiting for the plants to grow and add interest. These can also be done during the winter while waiting for the planting season.

The joys of gardening can offer you and your children hours of fun and enjoyment, a time to discover the miracles of nature together.

Links

Gardening With Kids - Gardens for Growing People

Kids Valley Garden

Kidsgardening .Com - Helping young minds grow

Fairy Gardens - How to make a Fairy Garden

Seeds of Change - Garden Activities in Four Seasons

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