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Build A Garden Of Memories With Your Kids
by Dominic Weidman
http://www.iamgardening.com
Gardening is in my blood. In the middle of urban blight and
decay, my Nana's garden was an oasis of color and scent, of
warm sun and cool earth - a place where I could get my hands
dirty and my mind free of school and problems. In Nana's
garden, I learned how to tie up tomatoes so they didn't rot
on the ground, what kind of tin plates kept the birds out of
the seeds and why the first ripe tomato of the summer tastes
better than anything else in the world.
This article will not help you build a perfect garden. It
will, I hope, make you stop and think, take a few moments to
reflect, and then... take the nearest child by the hand and
lead them into the garden with you to share a love of nature
that will live with them forever.
You can introduce your children to gardening from the time
that they're infants. When you go out to weed or water, take
the baby with you. A playpen or bassinet in a bit of shade
is a great place for a baby or toddler to be part of things
without being in the way.
It was an accidental beginning to my community gardening
adventures. By the end of that day, the dirty, rubble-choked
lot boasted three separate gardens, each bordered with hand
built rock walls. By summer's end, the 'hood had melded into
a community, and the garden was thriving. In the process, I
learned some important how-tos about gardening with kids.
The Golden Rule of gardening with kids is - it doesn't
matter. Are the rows a little crooked? It doesn't matter.
Are they pulling up the flowers and leaving the weeds? So
what? Let them get in and get their hands dirty, crawl
around and poke at bugs and ask you dozens of questions.
Besides those, there are a few plants that are ever popular
with kids. There's not a child alive who hasn't imagined
planting Jack's beanstalk, or growing a huge pumpkin like
Cinderella's. Pumpkins, beans and squash are prolific
growers in almost any region of the United States, so let
them go for it. Their early success will encourage them to
stick with it.
One afternoon just after the seeds sprout, pull out the
aluminum pie tins and string and a threaded needle. Let them
cut and shape, poke holes and string the diamonds and
circles and squares on garden twine. When they're done, let
them help you string it while you explain how the sparkly
fluttering brightness discourages the birds from eating
their seedlings.
On a sunny, sticky summer afternoon, pick the ripest, most
beautiful tomato you can find. Take it and sit on the bottom
step of the porch and as they gather round (because they
will, trust me on this), slice off bite size chunks with a
pocketknife and share the bounty.
Even the littlest fingers can get involved. Toddlers as
young as 2 can drop big seeds into holes that you dig for
them. Just give them a handful and keep a close watch to be
sure that they don't swallow and choke. Beans are the best
choice, but any seed big enough for littler fingers works.
When you plant and garden with your kids, you share with a
love of the earth, a reverence for nature, and the seeds of
a hobby that will last a lifetime. Gardening together is a
gift that will build memories to treasure forever.
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