Growing up my
parents always had a garden as did their parents. A
couple of years after I got married my husband and I started a garden of our
own. When children came into our lives,
they began to help us in the garden too; the tradition lives on!
Nothing! And
I mean nothing, tastes better than fresh tomatoes and lettuce right from
the garden. Our children always enjoyed
running out to pick lettuce for supper, or zucchini to fry up in flour and
butter.
So what’s
the big deal about gardening??
Here are my TOP TEN reasons gardening
is a good green family project:
1. Get some
FRESH AIR! It’s good for you!
2.) Family
bonding: when all are outside in the garden working together
3.) Physical
Exercise: Weeding, hoeing, raking, watering—all
involves using muscles!
4.) Teaches responsibility: Watering & Weeding are essential for crop
production
5.) Teaches
delayed gratification: Growing produce
takes time!
6.) Helps
reduce boredom: adds some structure to
kids summer days
7.)
Satisfaction of a job well done! --when
you place your produce on the table!
8.) A
bountiful crop can be canned, frozen, or given to neighbors and friends: teaching kids how to save and give away
9.) Creates
family memories.
10.) Teaches
your children a skill they will be able to use when they become adults!
Wash-up with
Baby Harmony Pure & Free Hand Soap, or Harmony All Natural Dish Wash, and a nail brush (dirt likes to
get under fingernails). Wash your
gardening clothes with Harmony All Natural Laundry Wash!
Treat
your family to ice-cream at your local ice cream shop;
topping off all the hot,
hard work they did!
Is it too late to start a garden?
If you think
it’s too late to plant, it is not! In fact,
you can find plants at greatly reduced prices.
Don’t wait too much longer, though, or there won’t be any left.
Just last
week my kids and I planted a strawberry patch, and today raspberry bushes. We will have very delayed gratification as
these won’t be producing this year, but that’s ok. We have great expectations for next year, and
the year after that!
Garden
tools needed:
A spade
shovel, hand spade, hoe, garden rake, hose or watering can, gardening gloves
(opt.)
A rototiller
is a necessary piece of gardening equipment, especially if you decide to make
your garden anywhere from 4-5ft. X 10-12ft. We have never had a rototiller, but have had
wonderful neighbors and friends who offered to till up our garden space. (Maybe you could borrow one from a friend or
family member.) I have heard of some
who rented a rototiller from their local hardware store too.
Maybe
digging up the ground is an overwhelming thought to you, or you simply don’t
have ground to dig up; consider planter gardening.
Give each of
your children a decent-sized pot, some top soil and their choice (or yours) of
what plant to stick in the pot. Help
them develop the habit of watering and weeding their potted plants.
Enjoy the summer and happy gardening!
picture at left: our family strawberry patch
