Your Child's New Garden, Plan now for Planting Later
January Pre-Gardening
Now is the time to plan that summer garden with your child. Already the seed catalogs are dive-bombing the houses and the nurseries are displaying seed packets. What to do? It all looks so easy and inviting. The flowers all look beautiful. The veggies all look delicious.
First, decide as a family whether your child will have a separate garden or share yours. If the child shares yours, you must allow him to make some of the decisions. If she has her own, she may have greater freedom in choices. This may be the year to dig up a small plot for your child to garden. Be sure to involve him in the preparation of the soil by adding compost or manure and helping to dig it in.
Next decide whether your little gardener will grow from seed or use purchased seedlings. I recommend seeds as this is such an exciting opportunity to learn about germination and plant growth. When choosing seed, consider the size of the seeds (large seeds are easier for children to handle), whether they will germinate easily, how quickly they grow (will they need to be stated indoors?), and the size of the mature plants. A new gardener may want to go with packets marked "easy to grow" or seeds marketed for children specifically. Be certain that the plants you grow are not poisonous for your child's safety.
When choosing varieties, you might want to gather several types of seeds and ask which she'd like to grow. This way you have deliberately narrowed the choices to ones appropriate to you area and your little gardener, but the final choices belong to the child. With an older child , or if space, design, or difficulty of growing are not an issue, you might specify a certain number of seed packets the child may choose.
Whether you buy seed locally or order from seed catalogs, shop early to find the best selection. Keep seed in a cool, dry place until ready to use so it will be at it's best when you need it. I generally keep mine in ziplock bags to keep out humidity.
Finally, consider the design of the garden. Your child may choose to grow a bean or pea teepee surrounded by annual flowers. He may choose a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers to grow together. He may choose a "sunflower house, a butterfly garden, pumpkin and gourd
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