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By Jessica Timm
Everything about gardening calls to children. The sunshine, the water, the dirt! Their natural sense of curiosity and ability to mimic make them the ideal gardening partners. Here are a few points as to why getting children into the garden will serve them their whole lives.
A great many bonding experiences are created when spring rolls around and we can’t wait to feel the sun on our faces. Whether we start seeds inside or buy seedlings to plant, allowing children to have a hand in choosing what you plant not only shows that you value their opinion but they will be more likely to eat what you grow, in my experience. This is a wonderful introduction to caring for something, too. By allowing the care, such as watering to be handled by your small assistants, they will take pride in the growth they will see as the plants mature. Don’t feel like you need a huge space to grow either. Container gardening and even growing indoors can also be a success. And who really wins when the prize at the end is your child or children eating their fruits or vegetables?
You can choose easy-to-grow things you find in the home, just like the lima bean projects most kids do early on in school when learning about the basics of plant life. Taking children to the grocery store to help them choose which items they will regrow from can also help expand tastes. Celery and bok choy grow easily in a shallow dish of water once you chop off the usable top. Sweet potato vines can be easily grown from a smallish chunk as long as an eye is present on the outside. And many people are familiar with placing the top of a pineapple in water to root. There are plenty of seeds to be grown like avocado pits and the seeds of strawberries. Exploring ways to reuse your kitchen waste also teaches multiple ways to start those foods, for example in water or sprouting seed in a dark cupboard.
When considering the pride and caring skills you’ll be helping to teach, remember the other personal benefits. Sunlight and your bare feet in the dirt are proven to help uplift your mood. Caring for a garden is often self-care as it can be very relaxing as well as providing healthy foods for your diet.
In times of hardship, caring for something like a plant can translate into self care. Many plant groups were created or membership doubled for existing groups during the pandemic as people took on new interests to help them cope and keep themselves busy. In times of need, growing your own food can be a relief and a joy if it doubles as a hobby. It adds to confidence to know that you can grow food to help yourself and your children will learn this lesson with an early introduction to gardening. There are programs that will help you get started, for instance, if you have a Bridge Card in Michigan you can use it to purchase food-producing plants. You can buy berry bushes, vegetable plants, and even fruit trees. Our city has an amazing amount of community gardens and there are plenty of places to donate your extra fresh produce if you happen to have an abundance.
In short, you are helping yourself, as well as, your children when you get them into the garden with you. You are bonding while teaching lifelong skills and eating healthy foods together. You are benefiting from the same elements as your plants and you can really make your grocery budget stretch with these skills.
Jessica Timm is an avid indoor/outdoor gardener and knows plenty about Michigan plants and Hardiness Zone 5. She is also the administrator of a private Lansing Plant group on Facebook which has over 1k local members.
To contact her about this article or ask a question, email info@tncpnews.com.
