Make Gardening a Family Affair

Take advantage of weekends, holidays and school vacations to get the children in your life involved with gardening.

Research has found that kids involved with gardening and the outdoors perform better in school, struggle less with ADHD and girls have greater self confidence. Any of us growing vegetables know that children are more likely to eat the vegetables they grow.

Start with a family planning session. Get out some paper, scissors, crayons and old catalogues and create a family garden collage. Have everyone draw or cut out pictures of their favorite plants they want to grow.

Include color and fun in the garden. Purple carrots, watermelon radishes, eye-ball plant and tiny mice cuphea are sure to generate a few smiles as everyone plans, plants and weeds the garden.

Plant lettuce, radishes or other fast growing vegetables that give quick results and keep everyone interested. Marigolds and zinnias are easy to start from seed and favorites of gardeners and butterflies.

A bit more information: And once the garden plans are made, you will need some plant labels. Use flat rocks, old wooden spoons or sections of mini-blinds and get everyone involved in creating plant labels for the garden. Use permanent markers and paints to write the plant names or draw a picture of the plant on the label. And for those feeling less than creative, use seed packets mounted on sticks to mark your rows. Laminate or use contact paper to weatherize the seed packets.