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"Encouraging children to engage with the
natural world is a great way to stimulate and educate them, whilst
having fun at the same time. You don’t have to have a garden
to do this, many growing and wild-life projects are just as
productive done in containers on a
balcony."
Persuading
our children to embrace the world of plants and away from computer
games is often no easy task, but with children’s health and
obesity issues of such concern these days - as well as a whole
range of environmental issues - I believe cultivating the next
generation of gardeners has never been so important.
Guided
and encouraged by you, gradually your children can learn the basics
of planting and growing things - you can learn together whilst also
sharing precious moments.
Kit out the kids with the proper tools for the job to really
impress them, a hand trowel, gloves, watering can and wheelbarrow
will make them feel very supported and enthusiastic to get
going.
Harrod Horticultural have a great range of quality garden products
specifically chosen for the needs of children.
 The Joseph Bentley
collection will appeal to children over the age of 6 who have
developed the gardening bug. The compact size and lightness
combined with the practicality and strength of stainless steel will
give them their first “proper tools” and ones they will
always remember.
Ideal growing projects for children include sunflowers and pumpkins
as their large seeds are so easy for little hands to handle. Fill
small pots with compost and plant one seed in each, keep on a sunny
windowsill and water until the plant is big enough to plant outside
towards the end of May or after the frosts.
Propagating seeds, planting out and understanding how beneficial
insects help out in the garden always fascinates young people -
Harrod Horticultural have a large range to choose from, simply
click here...
Pumpkins
need a lot of moisture and are heavy feeders so be sure to
incorporate some well-rotted manure or compost to the soil when
planting, and while the pumpkins are small children can carve their
name, or a smiley face, which will grow and grow as the pumpkin
does!
Sunflowers, too, enjoy soil that is rich and well drained in a
sunny spot (they are however surprisingly tolerant of partial
shade). Children will be amazed as the flowers grow taller and
taller, so why not have a competition to see who can grow the
tallest one? Both pumpkin and sunflower seeds can be roasted in the
oven with a little salt or soy sauce for a tasty and nutritious
snack.
Vegetables which are easy to grow in containers include
potatoes. They can even be grown in large plastic bags with
drainage holes made. Keep potato tubers covered with earth as they
grow and it is as well to be aware that all parts of the potato
plant are poisonous apart from the tubers so be careful if there
are toddlers around.
Courgettes are relatively fast growing once they get going and can
be grated raw with carrot into sandwiches for a healthy, organic
snack.
Peas,
too, will increase their yield the more they are picked and are
delicious raw, grow these on a wigwam framework with netting for
the tendrils to cling on to. If you don’t have time to sow
and nurture seeds, most fruit and veg can be bought as young plants
from good garden centres to give you a head start.
 Don’t forget
flowers too, such as the hardy annuals - marigolds, cornflowers,
poached-egg plant and sweet-peas. These are not only lovely to look
at but will attract beneficial insects such as ladybirds,
hoverflies and lacewings who will gobble up the destructive aphids,
red spidermite and whitefly, and look after your plants
naturally.
Encourage
an interesting range of flying insects with the
Solar Insect Theatre which automatically lights up at dusk,
then off at dawn, allowing your children to study what insects are
flying about the next morning whilst beginning to understand how
important they are to the healthy care of our
environment.
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