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Gardening for KidsGardening for Kids...Planning and Planting Spring is the time for planting a garden! It doesn't matter whether you live in the city, in the country or someplace in between. You can do some type of gardening. Kids love planting things and watching them grow. If you live in the city or someplace where you do not have a yard to plant a garden, you can grow lots of things in a container. Kids can grow potted plants, herbs, or vegetables.
If you have a small porch or yard you can still grow a garden in a pot. There are tomatoes, strawberries and other plants that are designed specifically to grow in a container. Certain types of green beans can grow up a trellis as well as cucumbers and miniature melons. Other fun and easy plants for kids to grow in a regular garden include green beans, radishes and green onions, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and pumpkins. Gourds are fun, too. Flowers such as pansies, marigolds and petunias are easy to grow flowers. Here you will also find some fun ways you can incorporate crafts into your child's gardening experience.
Gardening for Kids: Your involvement in the garden with the kids is really the most important thing. They want to be with you and gardens can't be a family activity if the parents don't participate in all stages of the garden.
Outdoor Gardening for KidsBefore you begin your garden, it's a good idea to plan it out first. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.1. Do you want to grow plants from seeds, or start with young plants? 2. Do you want to grow flowers, fruits, or veggies, - or all three? 3. Is it the right time to plant? 4. Which plants need the most sunlight? 5. Which plants do not? 6. Where will you put your garden or pots? 7. Do you have everything you need?
After you have looked around and found the perfect spot, now you can start planting! Using a trowel or a spade, dig up the soil in your plot.
If you are growing plants from seeds, you will need to dig small holes in the soil making sure to follow the directions on the seed package for how deep to dig the holes and how far apart they should be spaced. Drop one seed in each hole, then cover it lightly with soil. When you're done planting seeds, make sure you water them very well. You can add some plant food or compost to get your seeds off to a good start. 
If you're planting baby plants, you will need to dig the holes farther apart. The plants should have a tag stuck into their pots that tells you what to do. Water the plants until the soil is soaked.
Every few days, check the soil to see if your plants need to be watered. If the soil is moist, you don't need to water, but if it feels dry, give your plants a little drink. The best time to water your plants is in the early morning or late in the afternoon, while the sun is not too hot. Don't over-water them, though, because giving your plants too much water is as bad as not having enough! After planting, you and your child will have the joy of watching your plants grow. Teach your child which plants are the "good" plants, and which ones are the weeds. Show them how to weed the garden. Later in the season, the kids will enjoy harvesting their veggies or picking some of the flowers they have grown. Having a special basket or ice cream bucket for the kids to use to pick veggies with you keeps things easy. There may be fewer squashed tomatoes that way. As you pick together, you are teaching what ripe veggies look like, what is good, and what isn't. Gardening for kids is a lot of fun, and it is something your child will remember! Gardening for Kids CraftsGrowing plants indoors is just as much fun as an outdoor garden - and it's a little easier, too!
The first thing you need is a container in which to grow your plants. You can buy all different sizes of pots from the store, or you can grow your plant in just about any container from home! Clean, empty milk cartons, yogurt containers, butter dishes, egg cartons, sand buckets, pie plates, styrofoam cups, etc. - as long as it will hold soil and water, you can grow a plant in it! Check out these gardening crafts:
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So, gardening for kids isn't as much trouble as you might have thought it was going to be, is it?
