Here are a few ideas to help get your kids (or grandkids) interested in gardening:
Plant a tepee. Use bamboo poles as a frame for climbing vines. Plant ivy, beans, morning glories….anything that will climb the poles and fill in the tepee.
Carve names and pictures on pumpkins, zucchini, and cucumbers. Watch as your picture grows.
Dye your flowers. Pick some white or light-colored flowers. Place them in water and food coloring. Watch for a day or two as the color is drawn up the stem and into the petals.
Plant a pizza garden. Grow tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, onions, and green peppers.
Grow your pet a treat. In a small pet food bowl, grow edible grass for your pet to eat. Cats like catnip or catgrass. Dogs will snack on Lucerne grass. Rabbits will love barley, oats or wheat. Plant timothy meadow grass for guinea pigs.
Make plant people. Decorate containers with faces then plant some fun grasses, herbs, and bean sprouts for hair.
Collect some good size stones and have your child paint them as garden markers or decorations.
Create a game out of pulling weeds. Distinguishing weeds from wanted plants can be difficult for small children. Give them an example of offending weeds and make a contest to see how many they can pull. The winner gets to use the hose.
Make seed bombs. Mix five parts clay with one part potting soil. Add a little water to make it easier to work with. Throw in some wildflower or other seeds of your choice and form into golf ball-sized “bombs”. You can plant your bombs or throw them into empty fields. The clay keeps birds from eating the seeds before they grow.
Grow interesting plants. Lamb’s ear, peanuts, sensitive plant, and ground cherry are some exciting choices.
