Gardening with your Kids!

Gardening is something that I always wanted to do, but always felt very overwhelmed by! I would read books and books and books....and articles and pin things on pinterest....but until I actually did it, I did not realize what an amazing experience it could be for my kids....and for me! Our gardening experience began last summer when my husband built a big box and filled it first with stones, then with dirt. He even installed a watering system for me (because he is THAT great of a guy....and let's face it, we live in the desert!). So last year we planted just some starter plants and we learned a TON! Last year we planted tons of herbs (basil, oregano and something else I can't remember :), we also tried our hand at strawberries (which yielded a whole 3 fruits all season!), different types of tomatoes, squash (which we learned attract squash bugs and let me tell you I will never have squash again!), and the most amazing sweet pepper plants you have ever seen! The yield for those were just INSANE! We also did some spinach in the colder weather and we had fresh spinach salads all winter long!



This year we are trying out some new plants: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, rosemary and hot peppers to name a few.



This thing that was the BIGGEST shocker with my garden but how much the kids just ADORE working in the garden, then eating their results! We go out and water everyday, which my son just can not wait to do! We pick weeds and get dirt under our fingernails. We plant new plants and then when they all start to grow the kids sit in the dirt and eat VEGETABLES off the plants! Every single kid in my family will eat a fresh salad out of the garden for almost every meal! It is SO AMAZING! All of my kids have become veggie-holics! I can hardly believe it and I am not even exaggerating one bit!

One thing that has also fostered my 9 year old daughter's love of gardening is an amazing 3rd grade teacher who helped them learn about plants and even plant their own school, community garden! This week we signed up to help take care of the plants. We go in the cool of the morning and water them all down for about 30 minutes. Ellie explains about each of the plants to me, picks weeds and shows me how to water and take care of them. This is going to transform her life and I am sure that she will continue on with having her own garden when she is older!



My biggest piece of advice? Stop reading and just get out there and do it. By DOING it, you will learn a ton and your kids will enjoy learning with you! Involve the kids in every single piece of the garden and I am telling you that they will 1. love it 2. ask to do it 3. eat the fruits (and veggies) of their labor. I continue to stand in shock. We will have a garden now for the rest of our lives!