Although it would appear simple, nothing could be further from the truth. This chapter will cover all the information you need for establishing a garden.
Gardening Fundamentals
Growing plants for your use or enjoyment is called gardening. It might range from a little herb garden in your backyard to vast areas used to grow crops. The site is one of the most crucial factors when starting a garden.
The garden should ideally be situated where it will receive the most sunshine.
Determining the area’s soil quality and evaluating what has to be added to the soil chemistry to maximize growth potential is equally critical. Six to ten inches of the earth should be plowed under. Adding a layer of organic material to the soil will help to fortify it. Another strategy for realizing the garden’s potential is creating a plan. The northernmost part of the garden should have the tallest plants, and the flanks should have the permanent ones.
Containers can be built from materials like plastic or clay for people who don’t have a lot of space to plant, but they must have enough drainage to prevent root rot. Plants grown in containers must be sown in fully prepared potting soil backed by regular irrigation. Rakes, spades, shovels, and watering cans are some essential gardening tools to keep on hand.
- Let’s start by talking about what a plant needs!
Water, soil, sun, and air are essential for plants. The key is that, in addition to any additional materials, all plants, regardless of the type you are cultivating, require these three fundamental ingredients.
Sunflowers, for instance, may grow in nearly any kind of soil, but the size of their blooms depends on how well-cared the soil is. Your flowers will weaken and become less appealing, though, if they don’t receive enough sunlight.
- Seeking a spot
Decide on a place that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. Locations with 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight each day are ideal for most veggies. The more time spent in the moderate sun, the better and better it gets. It is frequently advised against watering vegetables with water that has been stored, such as in a rain barrel, as it may contain pathogenic microbes from bird droppings and other contaminants. Wet foliage will expose the plants to fungi and bacteria that may harm them, so water your garden in the morning to allow leaves to dry fast. A garden near your house will motivate you to maintain it more. If you can see the garden, you’ll remove more weeds, gather more produce, and water the plants more frequently.
Kids Adore Cultivating Plants
Gardening is a lot of fun with kids. They enjoy playing in the mud and exploring the garden’s various features. Kids who enjoy gardening get outside and away from the modern mechanized and gazetted world. They acquire a love of nature from it that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
There are countless varieties of plants and flowers, but the key is to identify those that appeal to children more than others. Kids will undoubtedly be captivated by a plant if it performs a neat trick or has an intriguing texture, increasing their likelihood of going outside and beginning to dig.
Two types of plants that are most frequently found in gardens are perennials and annuals. Some annuals can act like perennials and vice versa, depending on your plant’s hardiness zone. Always make sure perennials are suitable for your zone before buying them.
A plant is considered annual if it spends its entire life growing. After the season, the entire plant perishes. Seedlings grow into new plants.
A plant that lives for two years or more is considered a perennial. The plant’s above-ground portion dies back in the fall and grows back in the spring. Perennials also include trees and shrubs.
These ten plants have a “wow” quality that will attract children to the garden.
1. Snapdragons
Kids can interact with the gorgeous yearly snapdragons to have fun. They are available in short and tall kinds and in every rainbow hue.
The fun begins when they bloom. Simply give the flower a gentle pinch, and it will open and close like a dragon’s mouth. Making this flower talk is fun for kids. Keeping snapdragons pruned will enable them to bloom all summer.
2. The Sensitive Plant
The sensitive plant is a favorite among children since it never fails to amaze them. The leaves retract just by brushing them with your palm. This plant is easy to grow from seed and makes a great summer activity for the whole family.
3. Giant Sunflowers
Sunflowers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and under ideal conditions, some giant sunflowers can reach up to a height of 20 feet. Growing sunflowers from seeds are simple. Planting two rows of seeds that are approximately 5 feet long and 3 feet broad is a fun summertime task.
Children will spend the sweltering summer days in their cozy retreat if you put some lower-growing flowers around the outside for greater solitude. These colossal beauties produce delectable sunflower seeds for the entire family at the end of the growing season. All kinds of birds can have a nice feast if the seed heads are left on.
4. Strawflowers
Kids are delighted by this flower, another plant that thrives from seed. It feels unlike any other flower and has a crisp, “crunchy” texture. It also has rich, deeply saturated hues. Make a bouquet with the flowers for your children to enjoy since strawflowers as they are excellent for drying. They’ll take pleasure in their handiwork for years to come.
5. Gourds
The fun doesn’t start until the gourds are fully developed, which takes some time for kids to wait. The amazing items made from gourds include bowls, birdhouses, maracas, and vases. They appear almost unreal while hanging on their vines when they are grown from seeds.
6. Venus Flytrap
A Venus flytrap is something practically all kids have at some point throughout their lives. It’s difficult to fight a plant that consumes bugs. They are typically found as houseplants but can be challenging to grow. Despite not being a garden plant, this item had to be on the list because it is so loved by kids. Just lightly tap the center of the open trap with a sharp-pointed instrument, like a pencil, and watch it clamp shut.
7. Scented Geraniums
Scent adds another dimension of appeal to a garden, and scented geraniums are perfect for luring children outside to play in the soil. Varieties consist of:
- Almond
- Lemon
- Mint
When the leaves are bruised or crushed, a fragrance is released. For added visual appeal, the plants also produce gorgeous flowers.
8. Impatiens
Impatiens are beautiful to look at, especially in the shadow garden. Once they have gone to seed, the fun starts. Have your kids search for and gather the seed pods during the latter days of the summer.
When the seed pods are prepared, they will pop, releasing the seeds into the air. Kids adore it! The possibility of receiving free impatiens dispersed over the garden the following year is an extra benefit.
9. Lamb’s Ear
When gardening with youngsters, lamb’s ear is a necessity due to its plush, fuzzy texture. This plant always appeals to kids! It not only gives the garden texture, but it also has a delicate silvery hue for pleasing aesthetic interest.
10. Nasturtiums
Children can easily be engaged in gardening by being with edible plants. Edible flowers are even better. When kids display the flowers to their friends, even if they don’t like the flavor, they always come back to try a tiny sample. Nasturtiums make your garden stand out and are easy to grow from seeds because they come in vivid yellows, oranges, and reds.
Innovative Gardening Projects
Gardening is a life skill that is no longer taught to young people. By teaching your children how to plant, you have the opportunity to impart a skill that they will value their entire lives.
Here are some enjoyable projects to do if you’re ready to start your children working in the garden.
- Establish a Honeybee watering station
Honeybees are important to our ecology, but not everyone knows that they require water to survive. Make a bee watering station if you want to draw more bees to your garden. Making a watering station is simple. You’ll need a shallow dish, which you should then fill with marbles or pebbles. These provide a place for bees and other insects to land. Then, after filling the dish with water, leave it in your garden for them to find.
- Build an herb garden
Kids should produce their herbs because they are simple to grow and do well in any container. You can have an herb garden in your backyard or kitchen and can even start if there is enough room for a few pots.
Pick three to five herbs for your kid to grow. Some excellent choices include mint, basil, chives, oregano, lavender, and parsley.
Encourage your kid to draw a custom plant mark or write each herb’s name on the front of the container.
- Together, construct garden pillars
You can build garden arches between garden beds with your children. Plant some trailing vegetables on the arches with your kid, like
- Cucumbers
- Broad beans
- bean greens
- Peas
Your children will adore walking beneath the plant-covered arches. It ultimately serves as a small hiding place for them. Vertical gardening saves room and enables you to grow more veggies in a smaller space.
- Blooming plants will draw pollinators
Your garden has to draw pollinators. It’s a terrific opportunity to show your children how vital they are to your garden.
However, you shouldn’t stop at just telling your kids that your garden needs assistance. Tell your kids to plant flowers that will entice pollinators to the location where you need them the most.
Here are some recommended flowers for your yard that will draw pollinators.
- Milkweed
- Borage
- Coneflower
- St. John’s Wart
- Lavender
- Honey Balm
• Create popsicle stick garden markers
Popsicle sticks are a terrific alternative for youngsters to use while making garden markers, even though there are many more options.
They are inexpensive, and you may have them either construct miniature fences specific to each sort of plant or put the name of each plant on the stick.
• Decorative plant containers
Pots made of terracotta or plastic can be painted. Give your children access to vibrant paints and complete freedom to express their creativity. Check the bottoms of the containers you select to make sure they have drainage holes and then let your kids add potting soil to the pots.
