Gardening

Posted on April 7, 2015 in Projects & Articles

by Shaan Randow

Do you recall your very first plant? Your first garden? Perhaps
it was the geranium seeds you planted in a milk carton or
Styrofoam cup as part of a class project. Perhaps, if you were
lucky, it was your own corner of your parent’s garden, staked
out and set up just for the plants that you chose. My own
garden memories include experiments with watermelon seeds
(under the back porch where no one would step on them and
where, with no sun, they never grew), orange seeds (the ones in
the garden never sprouted. The one I started in a paper cup on a
window sill still grows in my mother’s back yard) and packets of
all sorts of flower seeds.

Instilling a love of gardening in children gives them a
lifelong gift on which they can draw – for pleasure, for
sustenance and to add creativity and joy to their lives. There
are so many garden-related activities and experiments that you
can do with a garden. It boggles the mind that so many
resources and references to gardening with children concentrate
on "building a sunflower house" when there are so many more
creative ways to introduce children to the pure fun of
gardening.

Packets of seeds that are labeled "kid gardens" are one way to
go about it – they do usually contain seeds for plants that
grow quickly, at least in grownup terms. For a child, though,
ten days is an eternity. Instead, take a trip to the local
nursery with your child and let them pick one or two flats of
flowers already in bloom. Invest a few dollars in a garden
trowel and fork, and help your child transplant the seedlings
into his own flower bed. That’s the sort of work/reward ratio
that a child understands: one afternoon of digging and planting
equals a flower garden. As the weeks go on, you’ll find their
interest is maintained because they’re into the FUN part of
gardening – watering, picking, and enjoying.

When they’re ready to start from seed, include them in early
spring seed starting. Instead of buying plants, let them plant
them inside to be ready to transplant in a few weeks. Take a
tip from science teachers everywhere – plant several flats in
regular trays, but plant one very special "demonstrator". Fill
a glass with soil, poke seeds down into the dirt against the
side of the glass and put it on a sunny windowsill. Your child
will have the fascination of watching what happens underground
as his seedlings grow – the seed pod splitting, the roots
spreading, and finally, the miracle of the first tiny shoots
pressing upward toward the light and heat.

There are other very easy gardening projects that yield quick
results for children, projects that have the bonus of being
"winter-ready". Cut up a potato, making sure that each chunk
contains at least one eye. Plant it in a cup of dirt with the
eye facing up – and watch it grow. You can do the same with an
onion … just bury the onion in soil with the crown showing. It
will only take days for the shoots to turn green and begin
growing.

For more fun gardening ideas for kids, pick up a science
activity book. You’ll find a world of growing and gardening
experiments that children can try, including the ever popular
"cucumber in a bottle" trick.
About The Author: This article courtesy of
floral world

Check out Hobbyscience’s Book of Dirt web pages pending

Youtube video by GardenGuy06
Kids Seed Planting Projects