The Children's Garden

Gardening is a great activity for people of all ages and children are no exception. Children often want to do what mom or dad are doing and when it comes to gardening they can, all that it takes is a little patch of soil and a few seeds.

If you want to give your child an early start on an activity that can bring years of pleasure not to mention fruit and flowers, create your own child garden right near yours.

You do not need much space to get your child started. A garden that is two feet wide and four feet long will be big enough to keep them busy, throughout the garden season.

Radishes are a great vegetable garden crop as they mature fast and your child will be able to taste their work sooner than most other plants. I would find out first if the child actually likes the taste of radishes. If they have never tried them, let them have a tatse first. If they like it, you can then explain to them that they are going to grow some of their own.

If they don’t like them, then don’t encourage them to plant any. Just picture them pulling their first radish wiping off the dirt, taking a bite and spitting it out, could turn them off gardening, why take the chance.

I suggest encouraging them to plant edible flowers. This way they will have something pretty to look at and for those bouquets that they are sure to pick and if they pop a flower in their mouths well it’s edible.

A few edible flowers;

Aster,

Bee Balm,

Bergamot,

Squash, Zucchini & Pumpkin flowers

Be sure the flowers are edible.

One of my favourite edible flowers is borage. It produces a bright blue flower; is easy to grow; attracts bees and butterflies and you can eat the flower which has a light licorice flavour.

Speaking of butterflies, a child’s garden is an excellent place for yoru child to learn about nature and see the variety of interactions between the flowers and the various beings that help the flowers to grow.

Nature lessons are easier to understand and appreciate when they are gained firsthand working in their very own garden right near mom and dad.

Gardening will help your child develop confidence in her or his abilities as well. There is nothing like seeing a garden that you have planted and cared for grow to fill you with a delight and a sense of accomplishment.