by Victoria Moss

Created on: July 27, 2008

Introducing the garden to our children at the earliest possible age provides numerous advantages: a child's garden costs little and gives much; it provides opportunities for exercising growing bodies and promoting creative thinking; it is hands-on experience of nature and nurture and the reaping of rewards.

Most important of all, the hours you spend with your children in the garden will be times of precious bonding, interludes of fun and satisfaction, and a continuous source of learning for them, and perhaps, for you too.

TIPS FOR GARDENING WITH CHILDREN

1. Give children their own garden beds. These could be raised beds, containers or a section of a larger bed, but each child should have his own small separate plot of which to claim "ownership."

2. Provide the best soil and conditions possible and ensure that there is adequate sunlight: setting them up for success from the beginning avoids later discouragements.

3. Have the children working close to where you are gardening so that there is interaction and discussion and constant sharing of experiences and ideas.

4. Provide small tools that are serviceable, avoiding plastic items which break easily. Protective gloves are ideal, as are sturdy child-sized wheelbarrows. Providing functional equipment indicates to the children that the job they are doing is valued.

5. Start from seeds rather than taking a shortcut with seedlings, so that children can experience the cyclic nature of the growing process - from seed to the harvesting the crop and eventually, the collection of next season's seeds.

6. Besides planting, weeding and watering their crop, children should be encouraged to pick and prepare their produce for a meal, or for display around the house (if there are flowers) no matter how small the offering.

7. Choose plants that mature fairly quickly so that children can see daily progress. Plants that are particularly rewarding because of the rapidity of growth are sunflowers, radishes, snow peas, pumpkins, nasturtiums, cherry tomatoes, climbing beans and potatoes.

8. Help your children to understand the whole purpose of what they are doing: they need to see that gardening is more than playing in the dirt - it actually contributes to family well-being.

9. Give "behind the scene" assistance where necessary such as additional watering or removal of insect pests. The child's sense of "ownership" is the important aspect and whatever extras you contribute to ensure success is incidental to the outcome and need not be mentioned.

10.

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