Making Gardening a Family Affair

Making Gardening a Family Affair

In most families, there is one person who generally takes the driver's seat when it comes to the gardening efforts. They may be the one with the time, as well as the inclination, to begin and maintain the large task that gardening can become as the season progresses. Even so, gardening is much better managed as a group effort and there is plenty of other reasons to get the family involved in your gardening endeavors. Children respond much better to foods that they are familiar with, and that they had a hand in creating. Follow along as we discuss the many ways that you can make your garden a family affair.

Planning Stage

If you are an intense gardener, your family may think you are absolutely crazy to be mooning over seed catalogs and drawing garden plans while there is snow flying outside your window. However, now is the best time to get your family involved and excited about the upcoming gardening season. Make a family event of gathering around the seed catalogs and picking out your favorite choices. This is an excellent activity to do with children, as it increases their familiarity with the variety that is available. You never know what new favorites they might find.

The planning stage is also the perfect time to discuss the life cycle of plants to the young people that may be helping you plant and harvest. Growing seeds is a very basic and educational science project and gardening is one of the easiest, best and most fun learning environments for kids.

Planting the Garden

As soon as spring begins to show its face, almost everyone in the family will be itching to get outside. What better excuse to enjoy the great outdoors than working in the garden? Children are fascinated by watching the natural processes unfold. In order to nurture that excitement, while still protecting the production of your main crop, consider designating a small section that each child can care for. Allow them to plant their area with whatever they wish, providing basic guidance on care and maintenance. If they don't have success, it won't impact the rest of your garden and will allow them a specific area to focus on.

This is the most exciting time in any garden, for both the adults and children that are involved in the process. The harvest brings to fruition all the work and efforts that you have put in as the season progressed. The harvest completes that cycle that you began when you pushed seeds into the prepared soil. The harvest brings many opportunities for family fun.

Find a new favorite - Children are much more open to food choices that they have grown themselves. Allow them to sample, straight from the garden, new vegetables and fruits without any pressure. They may find a new favorite that they never knew they enjoyed. Being exposed to more foods makes for more adventurous children when dinnertime rolls around.

Explore cultures- The various ingredients that are available right out your back door give your family numerous opportunities to dig into the different cultural choices in food. Create a different theme each week, and let your children help you explore the recipe possibilities with the ingredients that you have in your garden.

Share with friends - Kids are always happy to reach out to people and make new friends. A garden is fantastic facilitator for reaching out to your neighbors. Almost every gardener has more than they can use, so take your children and share the bounty with those that are around you. Bring your best, so they will welcome you the next time you show up. You also may want to consider having an outdoor barbecue or summer picnic, using your garden ingredients as the base.