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Vermont Garden Journal: Gardening With Kids

Pamela Moore
/
iStock
Introducing kids to gardening at a young age can lead to a lifetime of healthy eating, and loving plants and the environment.

One of the best gifts you can give a child is to garden with them. Most adult gardeners started in the garden with mom, dad or a favorite grandparent. Introducing kids to gardening at a young age leads to a lifetime of healthy eating and loving plants and the environment.

Here are a few tips for introducing kids to gardening:

  • Start by showing how much you love gardening and grow gardens around your home. Even if you aren't a great gardener, your child will pick up on your enthusiasm.
  • Let your child have a garden, or part of one, to call their own.
  • Engage them in garden planning by asking what veggies and flowers they like.
  • Relax your standards: Crooked rows and toys, fairies and action figures in the garden are okay. Leave space for just digging and playing.
  • Make sure they have some success. You may have to do some weeding, watering and saving of plants on the side, especially with young kids, in order to get a harvest.
  • The harvest is the most important part. Make it special. Have a party in the garden serving their beans or cherry tomatoes and decorating the table with their flowers.

For this week's tip:
After removing the winter mulch from your strawberries, weed and fertilizer the rows. This will stimulate plants to fill in quicker, producing more berries this summer.

Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden writer, radio and TV show host, consultant, and speaker. Charlie is the host of All Things Gardening on Sunday mornings at 9:35 during Weekend Edition on Vermont Public. Charlie is a guest on Vermont Public's Vermont Edition during the growing season. He also offers garden tips on local television and is a frequent guest on national programs.
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