Pass the gardening fun onto the next generation

Melanie Mathieson
The Gardening Guru

Many gardeners forget to include the children, whether their own, their grandkids, or the neighbours’ when it comes to gardening.
Many children would love a chance to help in the garden. And you, as an experienced gardener, can make it a memorable and lasting experience for them.
Just remember to tailor the gardening space and content, as well as the extent of the project, to the age and abilities of the child.
When determining the space required for a child, you can start as small as a container garden, or designate some space in the vegetable garden or the flower bed.
The space need not be large if you just place some special plants the child can call their own. Planters could hold flowers or vegetables. Depending on the shape of your planter, you could try herbs, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, or even peppers.
In a garden setting, there are even more options with flowers or vegetables. Sunflowers can be one of the most exciting things for children to grow. They sprout and grow fast, come in a wide range of sizes and colours, and produce not only a striking flower but an edible seed.
Children always are amazed at a six-foot plus tall sunflower. And if you do not want to eat the seeds, you can use them for the birds.
Beans also are a good choice for growing with children, especially the climbing varieties which relate to the story, “Jack and the Beanstalk.” If I know I will be having my nieces or nephews visiting during the summer, I always plant some unusual varieties that intrigue children.
I love many of these varieties because of their productivity and taste, but are extra special for children when they see them come out of the garden.
I recommend trying blue potatoes, burgundy beans, Easter egg radishes (produce in a colour range from white to dark purple), yellow tomatoes, beets or zucchini, Thumbellina carrots (produce round small ball-like carrots), candycane beets, multi-coloured Swiss chard, Daikon radish (can grow one foot in length), corn (comes in many varieties for eating, drying, or popping), or giant onions, just to name a few interesting vegetables.
If you have the room, grow giant or miniature pumpkins or try gourds as they come in many varieties and shapes. As well, the loofa sponge actually is the inside of a loofa gourd.
Or how about growing peanuts. Now wouldn’t that be fun for kids to grow? You also could focus on planting a butterfly garden or one that attracts birds.
A small area of perennials is fun, too, as a child experiences the joy of a plant re-sprouting after the winter. The possibilities of themes and plants to include are only limited by your imagination and the scope of the children’s involvement.
When you start your gardening projects now and in the future, take a few moments to think how you could introduce and include a child into the world of gardening. You may be able to pass some wisdom on to the child, but that child also will pass some wisdom on to you.
Make your gardening experience even more rewarding by including a child or two-you’ll be glad you did.