Gardening

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Let’s start thinking about gardening.

With the sun finally starting to shine through this time of year, temperatures slowly rising, and seeing the first buds and blooms of the season is the time to think about gardening.

Now I have to be honest, growing up in the city, gardening wasn’t anything I’ve ever been familiar with.  I didn’t have a clue how to plant anything or what I’d need to start a garden. However, I did know that I wanted my children to experience watching the amazing process of seed to plant.

My gardening attempts have not always been successful or enjoyable, but I’m so glad I’ve put in the effort.  We don’t have much yard space at all, so we’ve never tried very much at a time. Watching our raspberry plants come back year after year though always brings a smile to my face.

Gardening allows our children to learn firsthand about how plants grow and where our fruits and vegetables come from.  Consider it a hands-on field trip!

Humble beginnings.

Since gardening was such a foreign concept to me, I started simple.  I MEAN SIMPLE. Since I sunburn very easily, I bought a couple of Aloe Vera plants that we kept indoors. The kids would take turns watering them and wiping them down.  They grew really well and a few years later we learned how to split them into multiple and bigger pots. We also learned how to trim them to use the wonderful gel inside every time there was the slightest burn.  
I didn’t necessarily realize that my children enjoyed this until recently, after moving, we went to Home Depot and the first thing my 16 yr old son asked for was an Aloe Plant.
So we now have 2 small ones sitting on my kitchen counter and it makes me smile every time I walk into the kitchen.
Something I chose to do with my children when they were little, actually holds a place in my son’s heart today.

If you are lucky enough to have space to devote to a garden, it would be an amazing opportunity to share the experience with your child.

But even if you don’t have much space, there are still ways to incorporate gardening into your lives.

Making time outdoors a priority.

One year, we cultivated a very small square of our yard into a garden.  I split it into 4 small squares and my 3 children and I each had our own plots.  I often struggled to find the time and energy to take them all outside, even though I knew how important it was for them.  This garden project was a perfect motivation. Getting all of us outside together on a daily basis and bonding, with our hands in the dirt,  was a blessing in so many ways.

Together, we were learning how plants grew, how to care for them, and how to differentiate and extract the weeds.  Not only that, but we were also thoroughly enjoying being outdoors together.

A couple of years, I let each child pick seed packets, some planting trays, and soil. We would then plant a small container garden up on a partial flat roof that we have on our home.  We grew some of our best herbs this way. The treks up to our roof with our culinary scissors in hand, each child begging excitedly for me to need one of “their” herbs to cook with were something that I actually meal planned around.  I was learning about herbs right along with them and enjoyed every moment of the experience.

Oh, how we love strawberries!

One year, we decided to give strawberries in planters a try.   I’m not sure why, but they didn’t grow at all. The kids were really disappointed, but we also learned valuable lessons.  We learned to plan a trip to a local strawberry farm each spring and that has become one of my all-time favorite activities to do with my children.  We all enjoy it so much that we’ve never again attempted growing strawberries. Although we still don’t know what we did wrong, we have high respect and appreciation for the farmers who grow them successfully year after year.

We make a point to go to our local farmer’s market once a week.  This is a great time to sample new foods that you may not be familiar with.  It’s also great to chat with some of the farmers, who often want so badly to share their love for what they do with others.   Plus, it’s a great way to add some nutritious, homegrown veggies into your diet.

Gardening for any age.

If you have older children, allowing them to research and design a garden would be an educational experience that may just add excitement to their days.  
You never know when planting these seeds in their mind if you could also be cultivating a lifelong hobby or career.

Whether you are lucky enough to live on a farm, have a large or small yard, a flat rooftop, or even only a kitchen counter, don’t let this opportunity to teach your children about gardening, no matter what age they are, pass you by.

All children can benefit from being involved in a family gardening project, so don’t worry about whether or not you have a green thumb, just dig into that soil and make some memories and nutritious produce.

If you need any help, these are some great resources you may want to utilize.

Here is an earlier blog post introducing Barefoot Books to you. They also carry many amazing books and activities centered on gardening:https://learningisawayoflife.com/barefoot-books/