Linda Butler

There are few things children enjoy more than digging in dirt. They also enjoy planting seeds and picking flowers or harvesting vegetables. Gardening with children can be fun, but it can also be a challenge. Children, who live so fully in the present, are not like their parents, who see a garden as a means to an end -- flowers and/or food.

It is helpful to know what kids are capable of at various ages. Sometimes we expect too much from our little ones. I've found that children have attention spans that are about 2-3 minutes per year of life. Don't be discouraged if your preschooler wants to move on to something else after 10 minutes of gardening.

Toddlers and preschoolers are excited to explore. They like to feel textures -- dirt, leaves, sticks, mud, and worms are fascinating and fun. They like blowing dandelions. They enjoy planting seeds -- their small fingers are great for poking holes in the dirt. Tiny fingers find it easier to plant large seeds such as peas, beans, pumpkin, watermelon, and squash.

Younger elementary-age children are still focused on the "doing" rather than the end result. As they learn to read and write, invite them to read seed packet instructions to you and write plant names on wooden sticks for markers.

By about age 9, children can begin to focus on end results. Children age 9-12 can help with garden plans and designs. They may prefer growing certain kinds of plants. They may also enjoy the competition found through 4-H, and community and county fairs. As they reach adolescence, kids are capable of spending regular time helping in the garden. It can be a good opportunity for some quiet one-on-one time as you work side by side. This can be a time of sharing memories with your child, asking him about his interests or concerns. Listen as well as talk as you garden together. By this age, some kids enjoy gardening enough that they want to learn more about landscaping and can even make a bit of money doing garden and yard work for neighbors.

Parents and grandparents can help children have good gardening memories. You don't need a large yard or plot of ground to garden. Many types of flowers and vegetables can be grown in containers. A two-gallon pot can grow a tomato or pepper plant. Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, strawberries and herbs grow well in containers. Potting soil is less dense than dirt and works much better for plants grown in containers. Be sure you have a sunny spot for your veggies. While some flowers can bloom in shade, most vegetables need at least 5-6 hours of sunlight in order to produce fruit.

Kids thrive on creativity. A fun approach to gardening will generate enthusiasm. Many of these activities can be done in the kitchen as well as in a garden. Have bean or pea races. Each person plants three seeds. See whose seeds reach a foot tall first, then whose plants grow the tallest.

Plant bean or pea seeds in glass jars and watch them germinate and grow. Line the inside of a pint jar with a white paper towel. Wad newspaper to pack inside the jar. Water well. Carefully slide 3-4 bean seeds around the edge of the jar (between paper towel and wall of jar.) Watch what happens. Some kids may want to keep a plant journal, recording in word and drawings what the seed does each day.

Experiment with plants. Plant two jars, as above, and keep one in the dark, the other in the sun. Compare their growth over a period of several weeks.

If children have regular gardening chores, a bit of creativity can make even mundane jobs, such as weeding, more fun. Giant Children who are saving the Vegetable Kingdom from the invading Weed Warriors can be efficient workers and have fun. See who can pull the longest root.

Some vegetables can be picked small and eaten on a mini-picnic. Zucchini, crookneck, peas, beans, carrots, beets, and corn are ripe enough to eat when just a fourth of their normal size.

There are "free" plants that can be grown in the kitchen. Carrot ends, potato eyes, sweet potato pieces, seeds of all kinds -- lemon, lime, orange, avocado, and watermelon can all grow into plants. Suspend avocado seeds, potato and sweet potato pieces over water with toothpicks. Lay carrot ends in a shallow dish of water -- the green will sprout and grow. Plant citrus and melon seeds in small containers (yogurt cups work great) of soil.

Gardening with children can build a sense of camaraderie, of accomplishment, and of wonder. A summertime of fun and a lifetime of memories can be built with just dirt, seeds, and water.