by Emily Crawford

Created on: July 05, 2008   Last Updated: July 08, 2008

It's funny what happens when kids and gardens get together. Even if my kids are sore at me because I've just reprimanded one for swinging a stick or scolded the other for tossing a rock, the moment I slip on my tattered gloves and kneel down to pull the first weed, my cute, silly, inquisitive sidekicks drop everything to come see what I'm doing.

My kids have their own gardening gloves. They like to pinch the weeds close to the soil, making sure to include the root when they pull. They like to dig holes. And, of course, they like to make friends with the worms.

"Mommy, mommy quite contrary, how does your garden grow," they ask me. "With dozens of lilies, and lilacs so pretty, and Mother's Day roses you know," I answer. Our version of the classic nursery rhyme is what inspired me to help my kids' love of weed pulling evolve into a lifelong partnership with gardening. Here are some simple ideas for getting started:

- Read All About It -
When you're ready to garden with the kids, begin with literature. Visit the library and sign out a few children's gardening books. Amazon.com customers give high marks to the following: "Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children" by Sharon Lovejoy; "The Gardening Book" by Jane Bull; and "Too Many Zucchini for Zachary Beany" by Tina Donzauer-Ray (when purchased, this one actually comes with a packet of zucchini seeds). And, of course, there's always the classic, "The Secret Garden," by Francis Hodgson Burnett.

Reading some gardening books will most likely help kids decide what they'd like to plant. Flowers are always pretty, bright, and cheerful, and there are so many from which to choose. Meanwhile, vegetables and herbs can be used to prepare new foods for kids to try. Picky eaters may be more tempted to taste a new food if they grow one or more of the ingredients in their very own garden.

- Location, Location, Location -
Once the children have selected what they want to plant, it's time to choose a spot for the garden. It should be an area that enjoys both sunshine and shade and will not become flooded when it rains. The actual plot can be large or small, based upon what will be planted.

Children's gardening tools are available at most major hardware or toy retailers, and the kids will love having their very own gloves, trowels, hoes, and rakes to use. In addition to preparing the garden area, consider collecting small rocks from around the yard to create a border around the garden.

- Rain, Rain, Come and Play -
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