Gardening is good for the mind, body and spirit. It is also good for the youngsters in our lives.
Research shows that gardening helps relieve stress, improve focus, positively impacts mood and psychological well-being, builds a sense of confidence and more.
Look for creative ways to get children involved in gardening. If you need to persuade any reluctant participants, tap into other interests or skills like art, reading, writing, insects, math and computers.
Include lots of colors and unique plants that kids will love. Crested celosia resembles brains, making it a good choice for the zombie fans in the group. Eyeball plant (Acmella oleracea), balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) with its hairy inflated seedpods, snake plant and kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos flavidus) are a few to consider. Gardeners of all ages will appreciate the popcorn plant (Senna didymobotrya) with its buttered popcorn-scented leaves or bat-faced cuphea along with the hummingbirds it will attract.
Consider adding features that make the garden a fun space to visit. There is a reason bean tents, sunflower houses and tunnels in the garden have remained popular with kids of all ages for decades. Or, grow a garden shaped like a slice of pizza planted with all the key ingredients, or a salsa garden. Everyone will benefit when using freshly harvested ingredients to create these dishes.
A pot or flat of grass makes a nice field for superheroes and a lawn for dolls. A bare patch of soil is perfect for digging, driving cars and trucks or sculpting hills and valleys. All these build skills that can be applied to future gardening efforts.
Plant some salad radishes that are ready to harvest in 25 to 30 days. This will help keep the kids interested in the garden while waiting for the tomatoes, beans and other vegetables to ripen. Call it harvesting when you are thinning the radish planting. Use these greens as a snack or in a salad.
Use rainy days to create plant labels from paint sticks or stones. Paint individual words on some of the stones and place them in the garden. Let children leave messages for each other or write poetry.
