Let kids create their own garden, and other tips for instilling a love for growing things

By JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

When I was a kid, my friends and I spent long summer days outdoors, picking daisies, observing roly-poly (also known as pill) bugs, holding caterpillars and trying to catch fireflies (lightning bugs).

It’s still not hard to entice the under-5 set to make mudpies, smell flowers and eat string beans off the vine, but as children get older and turn to screens, nature exploration often falls to the bottom of their boredom-buster lists.

With a little creativity, however, parents can nurture an interest in the great outdoors and inspire a lifelong love for gardening. The key is starting kids young — and giving them ownership.

Let them pick the plants

Take children to the nursery and let each decide what they would like to grow. Annuals and perennials should be limited only by the site’s conditions (sunny? poor drainage?) and their non-toxicity (children tend to put things in their mouths). Leaves and stems of tomato, potato and rhubarb, for instance, are toxic, so if you grow them, you’ll need to monitor little ones closely (if you’re uncertain about a plant, call the national Poison Control center at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance).

Otherwise, let the kids have complete control. Vegetables should be ones they like to eat; they’ll take pride in a meal that includes ingredients they grew themselves. Growing edibles can also play a role in influencing a lifetime of healthy food choices.

While you’re at the nursery, pick up some child-size rakes, hoes, spades and gloves — or scout for used ones at neighborhood garage sales or online marketplaces. Ordinary kitchen spoons can also be used for digging.

Let them lay out the garden and name it

Back at home, let each child use a yardstick to measure a 3-square-foot plot of land to call their own. If you don’t have garden space, give them a container (be sure to poke drainage holes in the bottom).

Name the area or container for the child and let them design a sign that reads, for instance, “Olivia’s Garden” or “Noah’s Nasturtiums.” Let them name their individual plants, too. They will feel protective over them and take pride in their growth.

Offer advice on plant care

Teach kids that gardens need to eat and drink like they do — and that gardens, too, get cranky when they’re hungry or parched. Show them the symptoms, then let them figure out when their plants need water or fertilizer.

Observe the sun’s movement across the sky together and, if possible, situate the plot where others can admire it.

Be available to offer advice, but don’t insist on perfection: Teach children not to step on plants, but let them get dirty.

Mistakes are often the best teachers, so, if they insist, allow them to pick an unripe tomato. They will quickly learn that an unripe tomato doesn’t taste as good as a ripe one, and that an early harvest is wasteful. The same goes for immature potatoes, garlic, carrots and radishes. These are the lessons that stick.

Hang a calendar somewhere visible — in their bedroom or on the refrigerator — to schedule watering and weeding. Let them take responsibility for checking it and alerting you when those tasks need to be done. Crossing off completed items will also impart a feeling of accomplishment — I know it does for me.

Gardening offers food and flowers, yes, but it also teaches patience, responsibility and the satisfaction that comes from nurturing something over an extended period. It’s also relaxing and creates precious one-on-one time that they’ll remember long after the flowers have faded. And that’s the best harvest of all.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.