One summer when I was a kid growing up in Texas, my mom painstakingly cleared out a mountain of weeds in our backyard and introduced our family to growing our own garden. The climate in my home state is humid and hot, and the soil quickly dries out and can become a dust bowl. While citrus may grow well in Texas, most vegetables need consistent care and watering, and the weather, from scorching temperatures to torrential downpours, can kill a garden faster than a couple of hungry gophers.
Our garden only lasted two or three years before we moved on to raising rabbits for showing at the county fair. Still, in that time, I grew to love the sensation of working the dirt with my hands, the heady scent of mature tomato plants, and the diversity of texture and color that each plant contributed to that corner of our yard. I have grown my knowledge and experience significantly since then, but those sweltering sunny days growing tomatoes in Texas will always hold a special slot in my memories.
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Planting a kid-friendly garden and gardening together creates these unique, lasting memories as well as creative learning adventures. I believe that kids and gardens go naturally together. They get kids into the healthy outdoors and fresh air and provide a wealth of ever-changing situations that can capture their attention. Gardening together also offers natural lessons in math, science, investigation, community, responsibility, problem solving, and self-sufficiency. And the effort put into watching and helping plants grow transforms into a sense of accomplishment and pride when it comes to harvesting the fruits of their labor.
Physical activity in the sunshine, fresh air, and dirt filled with living things can improve moods, lower stress, and promote refreshing rest at the end of the day. It’s healthy to learn new skills and develop self-confidence through nurturing life with your own hands. Garden dirt is a good dirt that can strengthen the immune system and our bodies. Taking the time to complete needed garden tasks and revel together in the wonder of flourishing life can nurture connection and curiosity that will build spirit and independence well into the future.
» Life Lessons
Get your kids involved right from the beginning. Planning a garden involves math, organization, forethought, and responsibility. Just like with cooking meals, allowing kids to choose plants and be part of the process gives them a sense of ownership as the season progresses.
When choosing plants or even gardening together, tell the stories of the plants. Each takes on a personality of its own when you know how it works, where it came from, and what its purpose is. You can also treasure hunt for good and bad insects, telling their stories and functions as you keep your garden’s ecosystem healthy and thriving. Not everything that’s pretty is beneficial. Not everything that’s ugly is harmful.
» Kid-Friendly Environment
Kids love plants that they can interact with. Lamb’s ear is soft and fuzzy to the touch. Chocolate mint and cinnamon basil smell even better than they taste. Strawberries and raspberries provide delicious picking sessions. It’s such fun to watch sunflowers grow big and tall, and then fascinating to harvest the seeds.
Pumpkins are a no brainer for keeping kids entertained. The perceptible overnight growth of large pumpkin varieties is impressive. Kids can scratch their names into the skin when it’s small, and as it grows, the pumpkin will scar the name into itself, creating a personalized gourd.
» Enjoying the Harvest
When your garden begins to produce fruit, this is wonderful opportunity to talk about nutrition and cook together what you grew together. You can even grow a garden with a meal or food in mind, like a pizza garden or salsa garden. The tactile activities of growing, caring for, harvesting, and making food with ingredients you’ve grown yourself open up a whole new perspective on life that no grocery store can offer.
Together, we can build a more sustainable future of food and community through family gardens. N
By S. Michal Bennett
Photography By Joel Riner
As Featured In: Home + Garden 2023