children's garden

It doesn't take much to start a garden, and you can do something as small as an indoor herb garden in a single pot, or an extensive vegetable garden outside. My kids love to expand seedling pellets, and since they are a  busy activity, I have used them the past couple of years to start seeds indoors. We started seeds last week and will continue to grow more until they can be transplanted this spring.

stack of biodegradable pellets

All you have to do is add warm water and a seed or two, keep them watered, and preferably by a south facing window (if you're in the northern hemisphere).

tomato seedlings

It is my goal this year to can even more tomatoes than last year so I'm starting early. If you don't want to grow anything long term, you can sprout some beans without any pellets or soil. Wrap some dried beans in a wet towel or paper towel and check them daily to see if they've sprouted. This is a great way to show your child how a seed starts to grow, because a bean is one of the largest seeds you can use.

bean sprouts

It is very useful to have two little gardeners who can help water, weed, and harvest our fruits and vegetables, and it is a wonderful teaching tool as well. Most kids don't mind getting dirty digging, and the only issue I've had was with an overenthusiastic toddler harvesting unripe veggies. =) We also compost, so they are able to see the cycle go full circle. If you are new to gardening or don't have outdoor space, you could look at doing a kit like this or making your own. I know it's not for everyone, but nothing tastes quite as good as freshly harvested fruits and vegetables! =)

Fun if you are doing a children's garden:

• sunflowers - fast growing and cheery!
• cherry tomatoes (can be grown in a pot)
• marigolds
• snow peas (also can be grown in a pot)
• giant (or regular) pumpkins
• carrots or parsnips - great fun to dig up in the fall!
• start a praying mantis pagoda and release them into the garden

strawberries and purple beans from last summer's garden, mmm!

Do you have a special area of the garden dedicated to your child(ren)? I'd love to hear about it!