Gardening with kids can be an excellent way to get your kids involved in nature. It is sneakily educational, teaches them how to help provide for themselves, and will give them a memory that will last a lifetime. In today’s busy world it is one of the few things that actually lets us slow down with our kids and really enjoy spending time together.
Even if you do not have the time or room to grow a big garden you can still get the benefits of gardening with kids by planting a little herb garden.
There are many options available to you when deciding how you would like to grow herbs with your kids.
The Traditional Way To Grow Herbs
The traditional way of growing herbs with your kids is to get some small pots, fill them with dirt, and plant seeds. You can get a variety of seeds at just about any gardening center and if it is in the spring you can probably even find them at your local grocery store.
Before you plant you seeds you are going to want to place them in a glass of water for 24 hours. This will do two things. The first is it will give your seeds a jump start on germinating and the second is it will tell you which ones you should plant. Any seeds still floating after 24 hours are most likely dead seeds so only plant the ones that sink to the bottom of the glass.
You will want to put 3-4 seeds in each pot and then cover with a thin layer of dirt. After you put the seeds in the dirt you are going to want to water them carefully, making sure that the seeds stay covered. Or if you would like (this is how I normally do it) before you plant the seeds water the soil thoroughly using warm (not hot) water and then push the seeds in about 1/2 an inch down.
Watering the soil first will not only help the seed to not get displaced but by using warm water it gives the seeds a little push to start growing faster.
After you have planted the seeds place a piece of syran wrap over the tops of the pots to act as a miniature greenhouse. Make sure they are in indirect sunlight. If you put them in direct sunlight it will burn your plants. The syran wrap will help the soil stay warm and moist. As soon as your seedlings emerge loosen up the syran wrap. Slowly take it off over the course of the next few days.
Using An Herb Kit
Herb kits are an easy and fun way to grow herbs. Most of them come with little plastic greenhouses, dirt discs, and even seeds. In fact if your kids are a little bit older they can probably follow the directions themselves to grow the herbs. The only thing they might need help with is the transplanting of the herbs when they get bigger because the seedlings are fragile.
Gardens In A Bag
The only thing required to grow gardens in a bag is water. The bag that you buy will actually act as the pot and it already has everything in it you need. That means no mess from using soil or anything else. Gardens in a bag are available in many stores and also online. This would be good for if you have small children and you are looking to get them interested in gardening without all of the mess.
Buying The Plants
If growing your own herbs from seeds is not appealing to you then you can go to any garden center and buy the plants that you would like to grow. Then you can get your kids to help you repot them and also take care of them.
Gardening with kids can be a lot of fun and provides memories to last a life time no matter how you choose to grow your plants.
If your kids are old enough you can take gardening with kids one step further. Teach them how to make good food by flavoring the food with the herbs that they have grown.
Remember that when you are gardening with kids to relax and make it a fun experience for both you and your kids.
