It is a great idea to help children learn to love gardening at a young age. Gardening helps us relieve our stress and develop a better understanding and concern for nature. In my own experience, it is important to keep it simple, fun and start small! When my son was three years old, I sectioned off an area three feet square for him to plant and tend within my vegetable garden and he planted marigolds, lettuce, and peas. We sowed the lettuce and marigold seed indoors and later transplanted them to the garden while we direct sowed the peas. In other parts of the garden, outside the area that was his, we planted giant sunflowers, carrots, tomatoes (especially the little cherry tomatoes that are sweet), beans, and various cutting flowers. If you do not have garden space, many plants will easily grow in containers.

My son is twelve years old now and not really that interested in gardening at the moment. Thus far, we haven’t found a plant that grows fudge brownies. However, he is interested in whatever crawls on, flies over, or tunnels below the plants and is proficient at slug control. So maybe we have a budding entomologist on our hands! I think getting him out in the garden early fostered an interest in nature. Perhaps, he will have his own garden some day where he can grow his own slugs and insects and, as a side, just maybe he will one day enjoy the plants as well!

There is a considerable amount of information and ideas on the Internet about children’s gardening. Here are a couple places to start: The following site is from Colorado State University and has plenty of good information and links: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Children/children.htm. Another interesting site originated for the Pakenham Junior Horticultural Society, Canada, and made for children to use is http://www.raw-connections.com/garden/