by Roberta McQuaid, Old Sturbridge Village Staff Horticulturist

My earliest memories involve the family garden—planting it, weeding it, picking it, and showing it off. I remember waiting impatiently for Memorial Day to arrive. That was when Mom and other gardening experts decided that the weather was warm enough to plant. Once it was safe, she and I would get down to the business of seed sowing; we’d head for the garden, she in the lead with a box of glossy seed envelopes, and I following with my pink watering can in tow. I’m not sure which lured me more, the pictures on the packets or the funny names of the plants. How could a child (or even an adult) resist the vibrantly colored zinnias, or the lily-pad-leaved nasturiums? But there was also the Johnny Jump Up, the Spider Flower, and the Bachelor’s Button. Decisions, decisions! It really wasn’t hard deciding what to grow; we grew some of everything—the more the merrier!

I remember each trip out to the garden holding some science experiment potential. The garden was alive! From the microorganisms that digested the banana peels in the compost pile to the worms aerating the soil underfoot, there was much to be learned. Start with a seed and end up with food (or flowers) on the table! Few kids today have that same experience. But they can, and planting the seeds of delight in gardening in today’s kids is much easier than you think!

Hints to Get (and Keep) Kids Gardening

Keep it Fun! What kid doesn’t already love digging in the dirt or splashing around in water? What kid isn’t drawn to brightly colored and fragrant flowers? Allow a child’s natural interest in such things to blossom by demonstrating your own enthusiasm for gardening. If gardening is presented first and foremost as play, kids will be excited to return to the garden again and again. (And, as we know, young children learn mostly and most easily through play!) So be playful in your own day-to-day gardening activities, and even with the shape, design, and theme of your garden.

As a teenager, I had a heart-shaped plot! It was fun even before it became a home to beautiful flowering plants. A few years later, as my interest in herbs grew, my garden took on the shape of a square and was divided into equal sections, each with a different herbal theme. How about a butterfly garden? This popular theme garden comprises only plants that lure our nectar-sipping summer friends. (If you want them to stay awhile, provide some fresh water and some caterpillar-enticing herbs. Talk about a science experiment!)

Be creative, tailoring the theme of your child’s garden to his or her specific interests. For example, if your young child loves the color purple, grow a purple garden featuring only purple flowers and vegetables (yes—eggplant, purple-striped beans, and dark purple peppers, etc.). See how many shades of purple you can come up with!

On the other hand, what kid doesn’t love pizza? “Pizza gardens” are a big hit! Choose a circular space and plant tomatoes and saucy herbs in triangular “slices.” At harvest, enjoy a homemade pizza dinner for your labors! You’ll find there are countless opportunities to make gardening fun—just use your imagination!

Keep it Simple! Remember that a child’s attention span is short. Have lots of options on your garden “to-do” list, but don’t be rigid. Allow children to work at their own pace under your watchful eye. Know when to convince the child to continue an activity, and when to move on to the next task. Trial and error will determine which aspects of gardening the child enjoys most. Start with easy-to-grow plants. Radishes, beans, and peas top the list of easy vegetables, while marigolds, zinnia, and calendula require the least amount of effort for the boldest blooms. A general rule of thumb for seed handling is this: “The smaller the child, the bigger the seed.” (Any of the above varieties would be appropriate for a small child to handle with ease.)

Keep it Interesting! You need not confine gardening to your outside plot. By making the garden multi-dimensional, you’ll be less likely to find your child gardener getting bored with horticulture. Science, botany, and entomology may be the most obvious subjects taught by the garden, but with a little stretch of the imagination, gardening can also provide (fun!) lessons in art, history, and even cooking! Paint a pretty flower, study the importance of the potato in shaping history (that may take the whole summer!), or make some homegrown strawberry jam!

If your older child enjoys spending time on the computer, encourage its use as a research tool for all stages of gardening. Take field trips. Even an everyday trip to the grocery store (or florist shop!) can have a gardening slant. Where else can you see fresh produce and flowers from around the world? Encourage kids to bring home new and unusual fruits or veggies for a taste test. Enjoy the exhibit gardens here at Old Sturbridge Village and other museums, parks, and arboreta, where special garden-related events take place throughout the growing season. Here at OSV, the Fitch House Children’s Garden will be of very special interest to families.

Keep it Rewarding! Kids (of all ages!) love instant gratification. Plan your garden activities to include both those that achieve near instant results and those that take a season to see completion. Although digging up potatoes after 90 or more days can be akin to uncovering buried treasure, it is a long wait. Why not also plant some radishes along the way; they are up in just days and mature in only weeks! Most kids also love competition, and nearly every town boasts some sort of harvest festival or fair at season’s end. Pick up a list of premiums and encourage your child to enter his or her best horticultural efforts. They just might earn a blue ribbon!

When I was a kid, I remember competing in our local Grange Fair, picking flowers and arranging them to suit a specific requirement—“a miniature arrangement not to exceed 4" in height,” or “blue and yellow flowers in a blue container.” Top off a day at the fair with a ham and bean supper and a fast-paced auction—what fun! Even better than earning a blue ribbon may be the feeling of accomplishment a child can cultivate by growing something himself or herself. Celebrate such accomplishments by making a special harvest dinner for the whole family to enjoy. If flowers are your child’s specialty, be sure to place them around the house throughout the summer as a reminder of a job well done!

Along with being loads of fun and a rewarding experience, gardening taught me several invaluable life’s lessons. Gardening fosters patience, responsibility, and eternal optimism. As a young child, I learned that Mother Nature can’t be rushed—or even coaxed. I also learned that living things require constant attention, and that sometimes despite our very best efforts, not everything turns out just as we wish. But be very certain, we gardeners will be back, to try again next year!