Like me, many parents these days rely heavily on our own parents to help with childcare, especially after kindergarten and school, so we can have a full day of work that we are all extremely grateful for.
From personal experience, our parents enjoyed spending this time with their grandchildren, and from the crowd of us who say we got our green fingers from hanging around by the knuckles of a Gran or Grandpa while they pottered in their vegetable garden We also gained equally from this time.
You won’t be surprised if I say that I was really interested in sharing my love of gardening with my own children growing up.
Saturdays were and are mostly still spent in the garden with the radio listening to the footie, and every now and then taking a break from gardening for our own little match before we concentrate on it again.
© Shutterstock / Juliya Shangarey Children love to learn gardening from their parents and it is often passed down through generations.
Although there was gardening I wanted to keep doing, that didn’t mean ignoring my kids to keep going, but getting them involved and helping me to spend more time with them and get the best of both worlds.
They seemed lucky enough to get their hands dirty in the compost, sow beetroot seeds, and plant plugs of lettuce leaves, though after a few years of school it didn’t take them long to get smarter than me as they did Worked faster, the faster those jobs were, the faster they would be able to run rings around me at a soccer game.
Selfish, when I think back on those days, they are my happiest, but I know when they get older and spend an afternoon in the garden with their old man in their teenage years, it won’t be so attractive.
Keeping love alive
I hope one day when they have a house and a family of their own, the joy of gardening and outdoor pottery is still with them somewhere.
The National Kindergarten Week takes place from May 29th to June 6th. There seems to be an endless list of themed weeks in the gardening calendar, but these are the ones I’m particularly looking forward to.
Including children in their early years is key for them to develop an interest in horticulture.
I’m not saying this is a potential career – while it would be great – but just enough for them to consider their gardening a hobby, buying plants from local growers while ensuring our love and passion for horticulture survive through the generations to come.
© Shutterstock / Halfpoint Who knows, starting young can lead to a career in horticulture.
When my kids were very young, even though I wanted them around me, I can’t deny that I didn’t really want them to trample through my new plantings either. One way to get around this was to give them their own little garden.
At home we made a couple of raised beds out of wooden planks high enough to be on their level and planted them with fragrant plants like lavender, mint, and lettuce, which are great ways for kids to nibble on.
House onion is great too because it’s tough, easy to grow, and perfect for kids to explore by touch.
We also created a sweet pea wigwam that leaves a gap big enough for our kids to hide in. This can also be done with green beans.
The schools also provide time for gardening
Not only is it at home, but local groups and schools in particular go out of their way to include a gardening workstation in the school day.
I find it extremely uplifting when I drive past elementary schools that proudly display their green flag award for their environmentally friendly work. Part of doing this to achieve this was to create a garden, orchard, or mini-woodland on their own grounds.
© Shutterstock / everst Allotments are another great place where kids can learn to garden
I’m a big fan of allotments, that’s how I learned how to grow vegetables, but I am full of admiration for the Dunkeld community for their property known as The Field. I was very lucky to visit Beechgrove Garden a few years ago.
There is no person in charge, instead a list of things to do is written on a board for the next person to do. As a reward, all products are shared among members, with the surplus being sold on a Saturday morning in the town square, helping to raise funds for the seeds, compost and other needed materials for the following year.
The best part about it is the way they all work together as a team, inexperienced gardeners having knowledge from seasoned experts, and also families who get involved.
Most importantly, they can bring their children with them, be outdoors and have fun with the different generations.
This makes gardening more than a hobby.
