Garden Families

Growing together

Creating a Family Garden: Tips and Ideas for Gardening Together

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Gardening is a rewarding and enriching activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family. By involving children in gardening activities, you not only create a beautiful outdoor space but also foster their love for nature and promote valuable life skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of creating a family garden and provide you with practical tips, age-appropriate tasks, and creative ideas to make gardening a fun and educational experience for everyone.

The Benefits of a Family Garden

A family garden offers numerous benefits that go beyond just growing plants. It provides an opportunity for family members to bond, learn, and develop a sense of responsibility. Working together in the garden allows children to connect with nature, develop their observation skills, and understand the importance of caring for living things. Moreover, gardening can help reduce stress, improve physical fitness, and promote a healthier lifestyle for the whole family.

Age-Appropriate Gardening Tasks

When involving children in gardening, it’s important to assign age-appropriate tasks that they can successfully accomplish. Younger children can engage in simple tasks like planting seeds, watering plants, or picking up weeds. Older children can take on more responsibility by assisting in garden planning, soil preparation, or even designing their own garden bed. By assigning tasks that match their abilities, children will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their contribution to the family garden.

Family-Friendly Plants

Choosing the right plants for your family garden is crucial. Opt for family-friendly plants that are safe for children and pets. Consider low-maintenance plants like marigolds, sunflowers, or zinnias that are easy to grow and add vibrant colors to the garden. Additionally, include edible plants such as cherry tomatoes, strawberries, or herbs, which provide an excellent opportunity to teach children about healthy eating and self-sufficiency. Research and choose plants that are non-toxic and avoid those that may cause allergies or have thorns or spines.

Creative Garden Projects

To make gardening an exciting and educational experience, incorporate creative garden projects that capture the interest and imagination of the whole family. Build a birdhouse or a butterfly garden to attract wildlife. Create a fairy or gnome garden by using recycled materials and miniature accessories. Design a sensory garden with fragrant herbs and touch-friendly plants. Encourage children to keep a garden journal or take photos to document the growth of plants over time. These projects will not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of your garden but also inspire learning and creativity.

Creating a family garden is an excellent way to spend quality time together, promote environmental awareness, and nurture a love for nature in children. By following the tips and ideas provided in this blog post, you can embark on a gardening adventure that will create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds.

Seed Starting Adventure: Gardening with Children and Indoor Seed Starting Tips

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Embarking on a seed-starting adventure with your children is a beautiful way to introduce them to the joys of gardening and teach them valuable skills that will last a lifetime. By nurturing seeds into thriving plants, kids can witness the miraculous process of growth firsthand. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through an exciting seed-starting journey, sharing essential indoor seed-starting tips and highlighting the best seed-starting containers to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience.

The Magic of Indoor Seed Starting

Indoor seed starting opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to begin your gardening journey even before the last frost has passed. Start by explaining to your children the benefits of starting seeds indoors, such as having control over the growing conditions, extending the growing season, and the excitement of watching the seeds sprout and grow under their care.

Gather Your Gardening Supplies

Before diving into seed starting, it’s important to gather the necessary supplies. The best seed starting containers for beginners are biodegradable peat pots or seedling trays with individual cells. These containers provide a controlled environment for the seeds and make transplanting easier. Opt for containers made from organic materials, as they can be planted directly into the soil, minimizing root disturbance and promoting healthier plant growth.

Indoor Seed Starting Tips

To ensure a successful seed-starting adventure, here are some crucial tips to keep in mind:

a. Choose the right seeds: Involve your children in selecting the seeds they want to grow. Consider fast-growing plants like sunflowers, radishes, or lettuce, which provide quick gratification and keep kids engaged.

b. Timing is key: Research the recommended planting dates for the seeds you’ve chosen. Indoor seed starting should typically begin 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in your area.

c. Create a suitable environment: Seeds need warmth, moisture, and light to germinate. Find a warm spot in your home, such as near a sunny window or use grow lights. Maintain a consistent temperature between 70-75°F (21-24°C) and keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.

d. Follow planting instructions: Read the seed packets carefully and follow the instructions regarding planting depth, spacing, and light requirements. Engage your children in measuring and planting the seeds, ensuring they understand the importance of following instructions.

e. Nurture with care: Teach your children about the importance of regular watering, but caution them not to overwater, as it can lead to rot. Involve them in checking the moisture levels and ensuring the seedlings receive adequate light for healthy growth.

Learning Opportunities and Fun Activities

Gardening with children is not just about growing plants; it’s also a valuable learning experience. Use the seed-starting adventure to incorporate fun activities that promote their curiosity and knowledge:

a. Journaling: Encourage children to keep a gardening journal, documenting their observations, measurements, and the changes they witness in their seedlings. This helps develop their writing skills and fosters a deeper connection to their plants.

b. Science experiments: Engage children in simple science experiments related to seed germination. For example, they can compare the growth rates of seeds planted in different containers or investigate the effects of light on plant growth by placing seedlings in different light conditions.

c. Artistic expressions: Combine creativity with gardening by allowing children to decorate their seed starting containers or create plant markers using their artistic skills. This personal touch adds a sense of ownership and pride to their gardening endeavor.

Embarking on a seed-starting adventure with your children is a rewarding experience that combines the joy of gardening with valuable life lessons. By implementing indoor seed-starting tips and utilizing the best seed-starting containers, you provide your children with a solid gardening experience. 

The Five Best Garden Gifts For Kids

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Sharing your love of gardening with your children is one of the best gifts you can give them. Encouraging children to connect with nature helps them learn, discover and grow! We have compiled a list of the five best garden gifts for kids to help you get your children engaged in the world of garden. These tried and true garden gifts are sure to be a hit with all the kids!

My Very Own Flower Garden

We love Miracle Gro Kids – My Very Own Flower Garden for so many reasons and so will your child! This is a wonderful starter kit for your budding gardener. Children can grow their very own flower garden in a tin planter they get to customize with included paints. Children can even personalize the included garden stakes to identify their plants.

The kit comes with 1 Tin Planter, 1 Plant Liner, 2 Coconut Fiber Pucks, Paint Brush, 6 – Color Paint Strip, 1 Cosmo Seed Packet, 1 Zinnia Seed Packet, 1 Marigold Seed Packet, Easy-to-Follow Instructions.

Born Toys Kids Gardening Set

The Born Toys Kids Gardening Set is geared towards children between the ages of three and seven. We love this gardening set because it includes everything your child will need to launch their gardening hobby. The tools are sturdy and fit nicely into the apron for quick and easy use as well as storage. The hat will protect your little gardener from the sun and the spray bottle actually sprays which is a huge hit with the kids.

The Born Toys Kids Gardening Set includes garden tools, an apron with pockets, adjustable hat, real water sprayer, kids shovel, kid gardening gloves and a garden bag.

My Little Garden

My LIttle Garden – Growing Vegetables Wooden Playset will get even your smallest gardeners excited about vegetables. We love this wooden set because it can keep the gardening love alive indoors even when it is cold outside. It is a wonderful toy to engage your child, teach them about growing and encourage them to get ready for Spring when they can plant their own garden outdoors.

My LIttle Garden – Growing Vegetables Wooden Playset has 13 pieces including wooden beets, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, trowel, seeds, fertilizer and caterpillar. It also includes a growing guide to read with your child and nourish their sprouting mind.

The Little Tikes Garden Table

The Little Tikes Garden Table is a hit among kids and parents alike. Children can “plant” and “water” flowers encouraging imaginative play as well as practical garden knowledge. The basin on the table will hold water and includes a drain plug and the watering can really does water. The table is large enough that more than one child can play at a time.

This sturdy set includes  four flower pots, two soil discs, two flowers, one tray, one sifter tray, one rake, one shovel, and one watering can.

Gardening Books Galore

One of the best ways to plant a seed encouraging a love of gardening and the outdoors is through reading. There are a multitude of books about gardening for children of all ages. Think about purchasing a garden bag and including several age appropriate books about gardening for your child. Place a gardening book and some garden tools in their Easter basket. Encourage your young gardeners to explore gardening and expand their love for reading at the same time.

Share the gift of gardening with your children!

What is gardening?

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The official definition of gardening is the activity of tending and cultivating a garden, especially as a pastime. The official definition is really just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. Gardening isn’t just about tending and cultivating plants but it is also about tending and cultivating yourself and your family. Let’s dig a little deeper together and explore what is gardening!

Cultivating your garden and yourself

Gardening is about cultivating. Some gardens are purely ornamental which means you would be cultivating flowers and ornamental plants. Ornamental gardens are a wonderful way to cultivate beauty in your surroundings. Other gardens are cultivated to produce food. Fruit and vegetable gardens cultivate crops which can be used and enjoyed as a food source in the future.

Ornamental gardens as well as vegetable gardens give you a chance to connect with nature, connect with your family and cultivate yourself in the process of cultivating your garden. Gardening will teach you things about yourself you may not learn otherwise. Patience, hard work, resourcefulness and the sense of satisfaction which comes when enjoy your first produce of the season.

Cultivating a future

Gardens are an important way to cultivate our future. Cultivating plants is so important because we cannot eat, drink or breath without them. We need plants to survive. Plants produce oxygen and without them we wouldn’t survive. Just know when you are planting a garden you are helping to cultivate a better future for us all.

Gardens also provide an abundance of food which can be canned or frozen for future use. At the end of the garden season when you put away your tools you can rest assured you will still be enjoying the rewards of your efforts in the future. There is nothing better than enjoying peas or green beans canned from the garden in the middle of winter.

Cultivating connections

Gardening allows you the opportunity to cultivate connections. Through your gardening efforts you will connect with your children, neighbors and other gardeners. As you kneel in the dirt with your children, uninterrupted by technology or other distractions you will find yourself having conversations you wouldn’t have otherwise. When you grow and excessive amount of tomatoes you will connect with your neighbors as you share your bounty. And when you struggle with your potato crop you will connect with other gardeners as you try to find a solution to your dilemma.

Gardening gives you a chance to connect with others in a meaningful and natural way. As you connect with nature it becomes even easier to connect with others.