GARDENING FOR KIDS

Gardening with your kids can serve three purposes. First, you get to spend time with your kids. Second, it is great exercise for you and your kids and third, it can be a very valuable teaching tool.

Your children can learn about the importance of plants, the different types of plants and flowers and why we need plants and flowers to maintain the cycle of life. When planting a garden with your kids, there are some things that you should take into consideration to make it successful.

The first thing you should consider is the type of garden that you want. Do you want strictly flowers or would your child be interested in growing vegetables. How about both? There is no hard and fast rule that says that a garden can't be flowers and vegetables combined. Just make sure that all plants are compatible and need the same basic nutrition.Another thing to take into consideration is the size of your garden.

If the garden is too big, it will easily overwhelm you and your child, but if it is too small, it won't be productive. A great alternative would be to plant flowers and vegetables in different types of containers. This will prevent the child from becoming too overwhelmed. The advantage of container gardens is that the containers may be moved from one location to another.

The shape of the garden can be very important also. You want your children to maintain an interest in gardening so it should be as appealing to a child as possible. Experiment with different shapes and plants. Maybe you child likes waterfalls. Try designing a flower garden and use a small pond insert with a waterfall for the centerpiece.

The more interested you can get your kids, the more they will want to garden with you. You could pretend that the waterfall garden is a magical wishing garden where all of their wishes can come true.Before the spring planting season starts, have your child look through seed packets. Let him pick out his favorites. Plant the seeds in small containers in the house. Make your child responsible for caring for his "garden" each day.

Once the seeds start to sprout, they should become big enough to transplant in the garden. It may be fun to let your child name each plant and have him check their growth process each day.Planting a garden can be hard work. But if you plant a garden with your kids, it can be a great learning experience for both of you. Use your imagination and most importantly, use your child's imagination to design a beautiful garden that you both can enjoy all summer.