GARDENING WITH CHILDREN

hildren are naturally good gardeners. They look at everything with wide, nonjudgmental eyes. They love bright colors and different shapes. They love bugs, dirt, and mud, too! I look forward to spending time in the garden with my two boys (even the surly teenager appreciates a good home-grown tomato…). The following are some things you can do with your kids to help cultivate a love for the garden and outdoors!

CHILDREN Gardening with

o Grow a vegetable garden. It doesn’t have to be huge – it can even be grown in pots! Start seeds indoors if you like or buy them pre-started at the garden center. Tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, and cucumbers are easy plants to grow, no matter what the size of space you have. o Let kids shop with you at the garden center. There is much to look at, colors to see, flowers with unusual names (point out funny names like Lamb’s Ear, Bugbane, Pigsqueak, and Monkey Flower) and textures, smells, and sounds to explore. We are probably the only store that encourages children to touch the products, step in the puddles, and collect rocks! o Dabble in perennial gardening. Even if you aren’t an avid gardener, perennials are easy to grow, come back every year, and require little care. When plant shopping, let your child choose a plant to take home and work together to find a spot for it. Tell them the characteristics, such as height, bloom time, and color and then search the garden for the perfect spot. They will always know where to look for their special plants and it is fun to watch them emerge and grow each spring. o Head to the Morton Arboretum, the Chicago Botanic Gardens,

Cantigny, or even the local forest preserves and parks to

wander through the gardens. These are great places for kids to explore and there is no rush to see everything. The nice thing about visiting often is that something changes every day! o Build a pollinator garden. There are many plants that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other neat bugs and critters.

You only need a few plants and soon you’ll see some winged friends!

It’s important that we provide habitats for bugs and critters – their numbers are dwindling due to construction, chemicals, and other environmental stressors. o This one’s a hard one for me since I’m a little obsessive about my garden, but….let the kids pick the flowers! Let the kids arrange the flowers in a vase or give them to a neighbor. Examine each flower closely (pretend you are bees!) and discuss what makes each flower different. Why do some flowers attract certain insects or birds? What colors are most popular in your garden? What flowers open up during the day and close at night? Are all flowers fragrant? o Make a leaf collection. Walk through your yard or neighborhood and collect leaves. Try and identify them using books, photos, and the internet. If you get stumped, bring the leaf to the garden center for I.D. Gardening can be fun for both children and adults and it’s a great way to get outside away from the TV, computer, and video games. Seeing a garden through the eyes of a child is amazing and just like plants, children grow fast so enjoy it while you can!

Meagan is the Senior Landscape Designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles. She can be reached at 630-584-4424 or design@wasconursery.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!