Every Spring, I get so
excited about the warm weather and being outside in the warm weather, that I
always go out and get a pack of tomato seeds.
I have pretty good success with starting the plants indoors and then
getting the plants outside, but after a few months, I notice that I’ve only
grown one tomato. Hmmmm… as much as I
want to give up on it, I keep trying and I’m sure that next year, I will have
hundreds of tomatoes.
That is not to say that all
of my gardening attempts have been failures, and that is the fun thing about
growing plants: you can always learn new ways of growing and when you have a
healthy and productive plant, it’s very rewarding!
Gardening with young children
is a great way to spend quality time together and to teach them that they can
grow their own food. Children are more likely
to eat fruits and vegetables when they have participated in the growing
process.
There are many ways to grow a
garden and they can be planted indoors or outdoors, in large plots of land or
in small containers. There are also many
ways to start your garden. Seed packets
are usually inexpensive and can teach your child how plants are grown from the
very start. Some places, such as
Friendship Trays, offer free seed packets to the public.
You can start your seeds
indoors. Choose plants that are easy to
grow, such as basil or sage. You can
also try growing different lettuces and the children can pick the leaves for
their salad. You can use an empty egg
carton or an empty yogurt container and fill the cups ¾ of the way full with
potting soil. Take a seed and have your
child press it into the soil about an inch into the dirt and cover the seed
with the dirt. Sprinkle a bit of water
into the cup each day and place it in the window sill or under a light to help
it grow. Have your child check on the seed
each day to watch its progress.
When the plant gets to about
4 or 5 inches tall, fill a larger container (a large sour cream or cottage
cheese container will work, just be sure to poke a few holes in the bottom so
the water can drain) with soil and carefully turn the plant upside down into
the palm of your child’s hand so the plant and roots stay intact. Scoop a small well into the middle of the new
pot of dirt and have your child carefully place the plant, right side up, into
the soil. Cover the plant up to the base
of the plant and sprinkle it with water.
Place the container outside so it can get enough sun and have your child
water the plant each day.
When the plant is large
enough and has an abundance of leaves, you can harvest them to eat. Have your child pick the leaves at the base
of the stem. Picking leaves helps the
plant to sprout even more leaves. If you
are growing basil, you and your child can enjoy the leaves with spaghetti sauce
or fresh tomatoes or you can make fresh pesto sauce for pasta. I have included a recipe for pesto in this
post. If you are growing other herbs,
such as sage, you can use them in salads or in soups or on meat. Let your child get creative and he will think
of growing and eating fresh vegetables as part of his daily routine!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil (or another
oil with little flavor)
2 cloves garlic
½ cup roasted nuts (pine nuts are usually used, but you can also
use walnuts or almonds)
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
Put all ingredients into a
blender and blend until pureed. Serve
with bread or over pasta
