Watching Your Children’s Garden Grow

 Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their own garden patch and a spot to dig. Children love getting their hands dirty and watching things grow.

Be sure to buy good quality, child sized gardening tools. Plastic toy versions just won’t hold up to the task. You will also need children’s gloves and a watering can.

Mark off the garden area and turn the soil. Kids can help break up any lumps with their hands. Work in some organic compost.

Choose seeds that will grow quickly. Small children get impatient if their plants take too long to sprout. Radishes, Snapdragons, Cosmos, and Sunflowers will all germinate quickly. Carrots and strawberries are also easy to grow-- and yummy to eat.

Large seeds like beans and Morning Glories are easy for small fingers to push into the ground. You can start your seeds indoors in an eggshell carton. When the seedlings are an inch high, tear off the egg carton, and leaving the soil intact, transplant the seedlings outside.

Or, try placing beans on a wet paper towel inside a zip top bag. Tape the bag to a sunny window and wait for the seeds to germinate. I can remember, as a child, checking my beans every morning before school. The first shoots appeared to my delight and we carefully transplanted the beans outdoors.

Make garden markers by painting small rocks. This will help kids keep track of their selections.

Make it fun!
Grow a sunflower house by planting the sunflowers in a circle with a space in the middle big enough for your kids to hide. Be sure to leave room for a door.

Grow a spaghetti garden. Plant herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, and parsley. My kids love to snip fresh herbs. They stuff their pockets full of scented “spaghetti” herbs.

Share your garden with butterflies and hummingbirds. Zinnias, Verbena, and Cosmos are butterfly favorites. Hummingbirds love the nectar from Nasturtium and Lantana, and Hollyhocks.

Children love to pick up bugs and worms. Poke holes in the top of an old jar. Add some dirt and a few, new found specimens. Be sure to release the critters back into nature after a few hours.

Arm your kids with cameras to take photos throughout the summer. They will enjoy remembering the fruits of their labor. And, the pictures will help your budding gardener plan for next year.

Happy planting. And, don’t forget to pick a few bouquets for mom.

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is:
1. Printed in its full form with no changes
2. Includes an active link
3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact
4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:
About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit
To subscribe to her online newsletter, go to

About the Author

About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit
To subscribe to her online newsletter, go to

 Rondi Hillstrom Davis

More Articles 

Beds for the pets: sleeping in comfort - Allan Wilson
As we love to have a comfortable place to sleep so do the animals. So there are various types of beds for the pets to give them a comfortable sleep. Most of us have the dog as a pet. For the pets we specially have these beds designed for their...

Teak Or No Teak? The Pitfalls In Buying Teak Furniture - Napton Teaks
Teak furniture is a beautiful addition to any home, but when you think you’ve paid for quality how can you be sure that you are getting the real thing? There is a small number of companies who may not be completely honest with you as to the quality...

Home Improvement - Bathrooms (Part I) - Hans Hasselfors
When most people think of home improvement bathrooms, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to home improvement bathrooms than just the basics. Down through...

The Gazebo Spa: One Of 5 Creative Ways To Use Your Garden Gazebo - Deborah Boland
A gazebo is a great addition to any backyard because it gives it strength, charm and a focal point. But often garden gazebos sit empty because homeowners don’t know what to do with them. One solution is a Spa Gazebo - the perfect blend of beauty...

Active Adult +55 Communities Got It All! - Robert Flournoy
Many people over 55 feel like they are living in a house that is too big or not properly laid out, has too much upkeep, or just does not provide them with the lifestyle they want or need. Adult communities are often a great compromise for...

Kitchen Design - the Importance in Kitchen Remodeling - Lyn Davis
Kitchen remodeling is so much more than choosing a paint color and cabinet style. Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home. It's the room where you prepare meals and snacks for your family and more often than not, where the...

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar - George Steiner
We love hummingbirds and love to watch them throughout the day, especially after a long day, relaxing in our backyard nature retreat. We have 4 feeders that are strategically located throughout our gardens. The red, hummingbird nectar feeders (...

Decorating with rocks, the beauty of rustic decor - Joseph Lewitin
Rocks are dirty, crude, hard, and just plain nasty. But there is another side to rocks. They are also durable, beautiful, and come in a huge variety. When a piece of stone is cut from a mountain, it is cut into a giant slab. This slab looks like...

Container Gardening For Beginners - Stephanie Foster
Many people love to garden, but quite simply don’t have the room, or they want to bring a part of their garden indoors. Container gardening allows you to grow your garden any place you have the room. If you take a look at the pictures of my garden...

Radiant Heating System: A Comprehensive Overview - Team Content
To make your home more warm and comfortable during the harsh winter months make use of radiant heating system! This modern day invention makes those wet and icy winter days spent at home/office much more enjoyable and manageable with its unique...

Tips on Finding an Adirondack Chair Seller - James Crowley
Tips on Finding an Adirondack Chair Seller Adirondack chairs are popular pieces of furniture that are often used outdoors. They were developed in the early 1990ís in New York State. Adirondack chairs have came a long way since...

Updating Your HVAC System - Jim McDonald
The shock of skyrocketing utilities bills may have you thinking about upgrading your HVAC system…. and rightly so, because there is no chance the fuel costs are going to go down. The newer heating and air conditioner systems are much more...