I grew up with a father who came from a 2,000 acre family farm and,\u00a0even though\u00a0he left farming behind in his latter\u00a0years, he still maintained one very serious \u201cbackyard garden.\u201d We had rows and rows of corn, beans, lettuce, onions, radishes, peppers\u2026 you name it, we had it. And this was long before the hip\u00a0and trendy grow your own veggies movement became popular. We were the envy of the neighborhood and my dad would proudly give out his\u00a0food crops to all our\u00a0friends.<\/p>\n

Along the way I learned quite a few things about how to grow a garden and I love the fact that I can share those treasures and lessons with my son\u2026 even if it is just with a potted tomato plant. No matter if you live in the country or in the concrete jungle, your kids can learn a lot\u00a0about food from the basics of gardening. Sure they\u00a0can probably help you find the baby carrots or frozen peas\u00a0in the grocery, but do they know where those carrots and greens\u00a0really come from? (hint \u2013 the answer is not a truck!)<\/p>\n

Most kids today find it hard to believe that a lot of their food actually starts out as a seed.\u00a0There is a serious disconnect when it comes to understanding where food originates. Teaching children not only about\u00a0where the food comes from but also about how to grow it, helps increase their awareness of the world around them and make them more likely to eat tomatoes instead of just settling for ketchup.<\/p>\n

Plus, gardening is a great way to connect our kids with the wonder of the earth \u2013 the fact\u00a0that a seed the size of a tack\u00a0can grow into a big orange carrot or cucumber. Kids really look at this\u00a0kind of like a magical, mystical experience.<\/p>\n

So \u2013 you no idea how to get started growing a garden? Have no fear, I happen to have quite the green thumb and am ready to give you a few pointers.<\/p>\n

6 Tips To Grow A Garden With Your Kids<\/h2>\n

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START SMALL\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>A common mistake beginners make is being too ambitious with their garden plans, only to be discouraged when weeds or bugs\u00a0take over the plot. Make your project\u00a0small enough that your child can water it and see everything. Rather than tilling a section of your yard, consider planting in containers, which will help keep weeds at bay and give your child a focus for watering. You can buy pots at a garden store or even use an old sand\u00a0bucket \u2013 just be sure to poke holes for drainage. Containers are great for herbs or patio-type tomatoes but remember if you\u2019re using containers, you may have to water your plants more frequently than if you had planted in the earth.\u00a0They will dry out faster than plants in the ground.<\/p>\n

FOLLOW YOUR CHILD\u2019S LEAD\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Not sure what to plant? Take your child to a garden store and let them\u00a0pick the out the seeds. Your best bet will be flowers or vegetables with relatively fast germination periods (better for short attention spans). When it comes to flowers, think about easy-to-grow, edible choices. For vegetables, try\u00a0cherry tomatoes or cucumbers and, for a quick turn around, radishes are perfect.<\/p>\n

BUY KID-SIZED TOOLS\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>A well-meaning child with a garden hose can blast a baby seedling away in a matter of seconds, but you can avoid garden floods by giving\u00a0your little helper a kid-sized watering can.\u00a0In addition to the\u00a0can, consider a child-sized clipper, trowel, gloves, and shovel \u2013 as well as a magnifying glass, so then\u00a0can get in the dirt and get up close and personal with the\u00a0plants.<\/p>\n

DON\u2019T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT \u2013<\/b>\u00a0<\/strong>Some of your plants might grow like weeds, others might be stomped out\u00a0by weeds. The key is to figure out, along with your child, what works and what doesn\u2019t. A garden can become a living science experiment, where they\u00a0can compare what happens when one seedling receives fertilizer or water or sunlight and when one doesn\u2019t. Not everything will grow in the way you expect, and that\u2019s okay. Don\u2019t be afraid to fail.<\/p>\n

MAKE IT FUN \u2013<\/b>\u00a0<\/strong>Gardening shouldn\u2019t feel like a chore, so don\u2019t treat it like one. Instead of saying to\u00a0your child to \u201clet\u2019s go work<\/strong><\/em> in the garden\u201d try\u00a0asking them\u00a0if they\u00a0want to go \u201cpeek under the leaves\u201d to see what they\u00a0might find.\u00a0Discovering the beginning of a pepper or an onion sprig\u00a0is a really cool thing!<\/p>\n

NO OUTDOORS? NO PROBLEM\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Not everyone has access to an outdoor garden space, but apartment dwellers and others with limited outdoor space can still\u00a0develop a serious green thumb by focusing on indoor plants.\u00a0Try the afore mentioned potted tomato or even try planting aloe vera, which grows easily and can be used to treat household burns. And if all else fails, just visit a local pick-your-own farm\u00a0where kids can see the real deal in action!<\/p>\n

Let us know if you have any great gardening tips and by all means, feel free to share the veggie bounty with your friends and neighbors! Do you think you will grow a garden this season? What are you going to plant?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I grew up with a father who came from a 2,000 acre family farm and,\u00a0even though\u00a0he left farming behind in his latter\u00a0years, he still maintained one very serious \u201cbackyard garden.\u201d We had rows and rows of corn, beans, lettuce, onions, radishes, peppers\u2026 you name it, we had it. And this was long before the hip\u00a0and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":64,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,45],"tags":[46,47,48,49,50],"yoast_head":"\n