QUESTION
What can we do to encourage children to garden?
ANSWER
Young children love being outdoors so take advantage of this
and start as early as possible to introduce them to the garden and the plants
and wildlife that exist there.
Giving them a small patch of their own is a great idea as
they can get immense pride and pleasure from their own achievements. Get them
involved in working in the garden, teach them the difference between the weeds
and the plants. They will love the little tools especially for children and
even little gardening gloves for them to wear. Children also enjoy
discovering snails, caterpillars and all the little creepy crawlies that live
in our gardens!
Seed sowing can be very rewarding for kids. Initially
choose seeds that germinate quickly such as the old favourites Mustard and
Cress. Radishes are fast growing and fun to chop up for salads too.
Many of us will remember the joy of harvesting peas or beans from the garden.
Popping a freshly podded pea into their mouths is an unforgettable experience
to a child and you don’t need a large garden to grow a few. Try a some
plants in pots if you don’t have a vegetable patch.
An absolute must to try are new varieties of potatoes
especially prepared for planting in pots now and they will be ready for
Christmas! Great fun for kids and adults alike.
In the garden generally it is a great idea to plant scented
plants such as Cosmos (the chocolate scented variety), and the curry
plant (Helichrysum). Lots of herbs such as Lemon Balm, Sage, the Mint
family are all lovely to touch and smell and older children can start to use
them in the kitchen as well.
Plants such as Poppy and Nigella are an interesting addition
to the garden for kids as well as their noisy seed pods that rattle when shaken
will fascinate them!
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