Gardening with Youngsters

Whether you live on 5 acres, or on the 5th floor. It's easy
to get your children started on a life long interest in gardening. Tending to a garden creates unforgettable memories and teaches valuable lessons about caring for the environment.
Children as young as two can help with your garden. Digging,
planting, watering etc. The older child can plan, plant and take of their own garden space or window box with little help from Mom and Dad. The suggestions below are fun garden art projects.

Children love digging around in dirt. A small container gardening project is a perfect match for tiny hands just itching for something to do. And it's an easy way for parents or grandparents to share quality time with little ones while also teaching them a new skill. Make a day of it. Go on a shopping trip to buy pots, potting mix, and seeds.

Try Playful Pots...

What you need:
Terra cotta flower pots and trays.
Primer paint
Craft paints; Paintbrushes
Polyurethane.

INSTRUCTION: Prime the terra-cotta flower pots and trays. Use the paints to turn each pot into the colors and design of your choice. Seal with a coat of glossy polyurethane.

The key to keeping children interested in gardening - as with any activity is to make it easy, fun, and rewarding. Because they are anxious to see quick results, planting fast germinating seeds is key. Let them choose from small vegetables or herbs, so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Popular herbs are basil, chives, lemon balm, marjoram, parsley, sage and tyme. Beans, peppers, tomatoes and peas grow fast ( and after a few weeks, you can transplant them outdoors-yet another lesson in gardening) Always be sure to take the time to explain how plants grow.

Feed the senses
Children love pretty flowers, especially if they smell good and are brightly colored. Plant seeds of fragrant plants such as dianthus, china pinks, scented geraniums, or honeysuckle. Other popular choices include snapdragons, hollyhocks, money plant, nasturtiums, and Johnny- jump-ups.

Grow some drama
Children are fascinated with flamboyancy. They love plants that are huge and tower over their heads. Showy flowers to start indooors include sunflowers, dahlias, hybrid iris, and oriental lilies.

Eggshell Flowerpots
Young gardeners can use eggshells as pots to start seeds and coffee-stirrer tags to foretell what will pop up where. Plant seeds according to package instructions, and nestle planters in an egg carton on a sunny windowsill, where they can be watered easily.

The first leaves to sprout will be the cotyledons or seed leaves, which supply nutrients to the young plant until the first true leaves (resembling those of the parent plant) appear. When plants have grown to about 3 inches and have at least two sets of true leaves, they are ready to be transplanted to the garden. (Remove them from the eggshells first.)

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

   1. Peace of mind
   2. Peace of heart
   3. Peace of soul

                             PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

    1. Squash gossip
    2. Squash indifference
    3. Squash grumbling
    4. Squash selfishness

                            PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

     1. Lettuce be faithful
     2. Lettuce be kind
     3. Lettuce be patient
     4. Lettuce really love one another

                            NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

            1. Turnip for meetings
            2. Turnip for service
            3. Turnip to help one another


TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE    THYME:

     1. Thyme for each other
     2. Thyme for family
     3. Thyme for friends


WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.