Grow, Baby!Teach children the joy of gardening and watch them flourish.
By Alyson McNutt English
It’s no secret that kids like to get dirty. But parents who object to soiled fingernails should stop being quite contrary and start asking their children how their garden grows.
A recent study from St. Louis University’s Obesity Prevention Center found that children who are served homegrown fruits and vegetables on a regular basis not only eat more of the fresh fare but actually prefer it to other foods. Debra Haire-Joshu, the author of the report, stresses the importance of having wholesome treats at hand.
“Access and availability to fruits and vegetables is critical if children are going to learn to eat them,” says Haire-Joshu. “Having these homegrown foods around gives them time to really test out and try the foods.”
If just-picked foods you’ve controlled from soil to stove strikes you as an appetizing idea, now is a great time to get growing.
Seed and feed
Whether you’re a certified green thumb or have trouble growing grass, starting a garden isn’t as complicated as it might seem. Barb Wiehe, greenhouse curator and botany laboratory manager at Ohio Wesleyan University, says many plants are easy to start from scratch. Wiehe should know: last summer, she began a project with neighborhood children in which they planted seeds for pumpkins, popping corn and sunflowers. As the crops matured, so did the children’s understanding of where their food comes from and how it grows.
“My kindergartner now goes to the grocery with me and points out things that aren’t in season,” remarks Wiehe. “She’ll say, ‘Mom, why is that corn there? We can’t grow that in our backyard [this time of year]!’” This year, Wiehe’s little ones have planned a fall-feast planting.
Try themed plots, suggests Rebecca Kolls, master gardener and host of the syndicated show Rebecca’s Garden. “Pizza gardens are great because you can do it in a big pot all at once,” she says. “The herbs, tomatoes and peppers are all really good to start from seed, as well.”
Feeling fruity
Fruit farming is more dependent on environmental factors than that of most vegetables. “You really need to research any fruit tree you’re considering to make sure it will work where you live,” says Lance Walheim, Bayer advanced garden expert.
If you still want to try your hand, Walheim recommends some species that do well in most climates. “Strawberries and blueberries are great choices because they can be grown in a big pot, and there are varieties of each that grow all over the country,” he says, adding that for kids, he prefers these species to blackberries and raspberries, which sport prickly thorns.
Another advantage of strawberries and blueberries is quick payoff. “You can plant [them] in a container, and they’ll usually give fruit after one season,” says Walheim.
Organic Kids
While gardening organically is always a good choice, it is essential when children are digging in the dirt. “If the kids are going to be getting their hands dirty, you want them to be doing it in a natural way,” says Kolls.
Kolls recommends using Miracle-Gro Organic Choice soil as a base for any container gardens. “It has the three magic ingredients for good soil: peat moss, compost and rotted manure,” she explains, noting those materials are building blocks for a successful garden.
Another tip: add flowers to your garden. They attract helpful insects to your patch, which helps with pollination. Introduce “healthy” garden bugs if you notice problematic insects like aphids on your plants. Ladybugs are fun for kids, and they’re great for gardens, as well, since they feed on pesky pests.
Finally, don’t skimp on the composting. Wiehe says composting is easy as long as you maintain a good balance of organic material. “Add kitchen scraps, foliage, herbaceous material, and you’ll do fine,” says Wiehe. “Just make sure you have a good mix. If you have too many grass clippings, for example, you’ll get a nitrogen spike and the materials won’t decompose.”
For tips on composting, visit sustainable.tamu.edu, go to slidesets and choose the composting for KIDS option.
Smarty Plants
When children embark on tending their own gardens, they have more than an agricultural experience. Learning grows as naturally as a tomato vine when kids are invested in what they’re doing.
“Ownership is so important for a child,” says Kolls. “Parents can guide, but they have to let kids really feel it’s their garden.”
Kolls also recommends making the plot itself fun: she’s had her kids draw outlines of their bodies and plant seeds inside them. She also recommends sketching the kids’ names in the ground, then carving the letters out and seeding them with grains or wildflowers.
Wiehe adds that making mistakes is part of the growing process. She saw the children in her neighborhood became gardening detectives when something went awry. For example, many of the pumpkins they planted in the neighborhood plot fizzled, while ones children had planted in their backyards thrived.
“We talked about it, and they figured out the pumpkins that didn’t make it weren’t getting enough sun,” she says. “This season, we know to plant them in a better location.”
For David Hammarström, who has been “city gardening” with his children for about six years, seeing his daughters’ excitement and curiosity bloom is the biggest payoff. “Anything from window boxes to tiny plots like ours to large gardens can provide parents and kids with great bonding time, as well as conversations on how important it is to be stewards of our planet and how everything works together to sustain itself,” he says.
Health Barn USA
Stacey Antile was discouraged by what she saw as the ineffective techniques even the best programs were using to combat childhood obesity. So Antile, a former public relations executive and a registered dietician, founded Health Barn USA, a healthy lifestyle education program (www.healthbarnusa.com). At its main location, in Bergen County, New Jersey, children as young as three years old not only grow fruits and vegetables but also learn about nutrition and cooking fresh foods.
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden at New York Botanical Gardens
Families are encouraged to play in the dirt at the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, says Toby Adams, manager of this hands-on, kid-friendly spot. The Howell Garden (www.nybg.org) is open seven months of the year. During that time, children and their parents tend plots that produce everything from kohlrabi to sugar snap peas. The garden has programs for children ages three to 12, but if you’re not enrolled, don’t worry: drop-in guests are encouraged to get their hands dirty, as well.
Gardens for Learning at Two Rivers Center
Started over 20 years ago as part of Vermont’s food banking program, the Two Rivers Center (www.tworiverscenter.org) has grown to include a cornucopia of programs for Vermont families interested in reconnecting with their food, including the Gardens for Learning summer camp program at the main campus in Montpelier. The program, for children ages 5-12, focuses on organic gardening, kid-friendly cooking, and understanding the bounty of the earth, says co-director Joseph Kiefer.
Garden Space
If you love the idea of growing your own food but are concerned about space, Potting Shed Creations’ Garden in a Bag may be a perfect fit. The collection includes fruits, herbs, vegetables and flowers, all grown in their own leak-proof bags. ($7.50—$15.00, www.pottingshedcreations.com)
Plant Feeder
This Kids’ Watering Can is scaled-down to fit little green thumbs. Available in blue, green, pink and orange. ($16.00, www.nybgshop.org)
Pocket Pal
The Child’s Garden Tool Kit by Lee Valley includes two trowels, a cultivator and a spray bottle. Its equipped with plenty of pockets and features a rubberized bottom to keep out moisture. ($12.50, 800-871-8158 or www.leevalley.com)
Smart Steppers
If your kids like to get down and dirty, Crocs are the shoes for them. These multi-colored clogs are slip resistant, lightweight and easily washed. ($24.99, www.crocs.com)
|
