Kids in the Garden
If you can get your kids interested in the garden then you are giving them a hobby and passion that will last for a lifetime. I remember when I started in the garden as a young child and that is when my passion for gardening was born.
Gardens provide young children with a fascinating environment to learn, play and enjoy the benefits of nature. The garden keeps them away from the telly and computer screen and gets them out into the fresh air which can only be good for them.
I’m often asked what is a good way to start off the smallies in the garden and I think the one main idea to remember is to keep it simple. Not for them the intricacies of aerial layering magnolias or grafting roses. No it must be fun and the results must be immediate (or as close to immediate as one can get in gardening)
Start them off with a tray of vegetable plants. You’ll pick up 10 packs of most vegetables for €3-4.00. The benefits are huge, you will get the kids interested because they grow quickly and they will need attention as regards staking and minding, nothing too taxing. I remember well in my childhood dying to get home from school to see if seeds had germinated or if slugs had attacked and later in the year if the fruit was ripe yet. They will also be keen to sample the fruits of their labour so it will no longer be a chore getting them to eat their greens. They’ll be just waiting for the day that they can harvest and eat. It’s a fun way to get the next generation interested and it’s an ideal way for the older among us to explain the wonders of nature and organic ways of producing food.
If you don’t want to start them with fruit and veg try a packet of Nastursium or Sunflowers. They will develop from seed to a plant full of flowers in no time and this will keep them interested.
