My five year old son and I have enjoyed gardening together since he was little. We created our first garden in our front yard (where the sunlight was best), and it turned out to be the best place ever! We checked every morning when we went outside to play and each time we left to go somewhere. He even offered samples to our neighbors, who didn’t even know what kale was. At the young age of two, he began taste testing the herbs and grabbing a mint leaf on his way to school!

We have moved since then and have now created a raised garden that we can see from our dining room table. Most mornings he comments on how “our garden is growing more each day!” and we go to check on it, weed it, and water it together. This year his gardening skills have really blossomed as he learned how to plant a seed, a starter plant, and how to weed. He even thought about our garden when we were away for ten days, asking things like “who will water our garden?”, “I think our plants are really growing while we are gone” and “I’m going to put this ladybug I found in our garden to help the plants”. Our time together gardening and growing will always stay with him (and me!), and his skills at growing his own food will help him into the future as he creates his own place and growing space as an adult.

For more ideas on what types of plants that are guaranteed to grow and other gardening with children tips visit http://eartheasy.com/grow_gardening_children.htm.

In addition to gardening at home, schoolyard gardens can be a perfect way for children to learn about growing food and creating ecosystems for wildlife.  You can find resources for funding, designing, and teaching in schoolyard gardens at http://www.monarchlab.org/see/gardengrants/GardenGrants.aspx or http://www.kidsgardening.org.