Helping Your Child Grow Their Own Garden

Your child will learn to appreciate nature in a whole new way. Plus it is a fun opportunity for you two to spend time together and enjoy the great outdoors. They will feel like they are contributing, but you will have the added benefit of having more time to spend in your garden also.

When choosing the perfect spot for your child’s garden, make sure to look for a spot next to yours. This will allow you to monitor their actions when you are tending to your garden also. It will give the added benefit of spending that precious quality time together to. Have your child help you plot out a design for their garden. Even if it a crazy and weird shaped garden, it will give a chance for your child to be creative.

Make a day trip to pick out flowers. Set aside a time frame or even a whole day to spend on purchasing items for their garden. Take the time to look down each gardening aisle and choose flowers, fences, rocks, or anything else they may want to incorporate into their garden. Just because it is a child’s garden doesn’t mean it can’t look pretty.

When all the essential tools, flowers and extras are purchased, the next step is planting. First you will want to form the design with the rocks or fence that you picked out with your child. Then once that is done you can begin planting. Dig holes 3 inches apart from each other. Drop 4 to 5 seeds in one hole. Cover with loose dirt and compact the loose dirt lightly with the spade.  Your child can help with the planting process. If you wanted to, you could even have them do the whole process if they are old enough. It will become more special to the child if they do it, rather than having you plant their flowers. Last you will want to water the flowers. Buy a kid friendly watering can.  Wal-Mart carries watering cans for $5 or less. Let your child water their own flowers, while you water yours. It will save you the extra work.

The final stage may be the most difficult for your child. Waiting is not a child’s specialty. But this is where growing a garden can help with that. Let them know it takes time, but if they take care of their garden right, they will soon see beautiful flowers where dirt once was.