Gardening With Your Child

Getting children involved in gardening at a young age can teach them valuable lessons that will last them a lifetime. Children can learn a great deal about the various sciences through gardening. By growing their own vegetables, they can learn about nutrition. By having to water and weed and care for their plants, they learn responsibility. As they watch the flowers and vegetables they have planted grow and mature, children can take pride in their own accomplishments and develop self-esteem. For these reasons and many more, you will want to bring your child into the garden with you. It is not that difficult either.

You should, first, consider giving your child their very own garden plot. Keep it small, though. About a 4-foot x 4-foot area is fine. Also, make sure that they have their own gardening tools and that they are in a size suitable for the child. If you do not have room to give your child their own plot of land, give them a section of their own in your garden. Of course, you will probably be doing most of the work getting the ground ready to plant. However, you will want your child to help, and be sure to let them know that it is perfectly okay to get dirty. (That can be a real treat, in and of itself.)

Let your child help pick out what is to be planted, but you will want to steer them towards plants that are easy to grow. Daylilies are always a good choice. Flowers that are easy to grow from seed include nasturtiums and sunflowers. They might also enjoy vines like honeysuckle and morning glory. You both will enjoy watching a moonflower open at night. I have also found that children really love chocolate mint. (Planting mint might give you a chance to explain a little about container gardening to them, too.) If you plant vegetables, chose those vegetables that they actually like to eat. (If your child absolutely hates brussels sprout, having them grow this vegetable is not going to change their mind.)

Explain to your child the importance of taking care of their garden. Help them weed. Show them how and when to water. (An occasional water fight on a hot summer day should always be an option, as well.) Explain the importance of keeping the garden mulched. Show them how to dead head plants, and explain the reasons for doing so.

If your child wants to label their plants, have them paint flat rocks with the names and colorful designs. The same can be done with wooden stakes. Let your child use their imagination. It is their garden, after all.

Never pressure or nag your child about their work in the garden. You want gardening to be a positive and fun experience. Work together in your gardens. Take breaks together and have a cold drink while you each talk about your plans for your gardens. Take walks together through the gardens to see what is growing, what is blooming. You may discover that you have given the world another gardener and your child a lifetime of memories.

I thought this bug, might be a kind of beetle, was interesting to look at. It had a kind of green metallic color and a black and white striped belly. I am not sure what it is. Maybe you can leave a comment and let me know whether I need to worry about it or not. They are munching on the leaves, but there are not a lot of them so they are not doing a lot of damage.
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