Gardening with the kids in mind

If you have young children of your own, or if kids are always visiting, plan for them and their antics. A flower border of precious perennials, some of them delicately supported by stakes, will be in constant danger of being trampled if kids ride bikes or play rousing games of soccer nearby. Although placing your raised-bed vegetable garden right in the center of a sunny lawn may be logical, figure out whether the kids’ fun and games work can around it or whether the kids will be running through it.

As parents everywhere know, the key to lowering your frustration level is being flexible. Site the perennials way at the back of the lawn area if you must; shield flowers with a fence or picnic table or living barrier, such as a line of shrubs or berry bushes; locate that vegetable garden more off to the side; and so on. You get the idea.

With kids’ short attention spans and wish for quick gratification, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get the children to help you dig up a new planting area, nor would it be safe or advisable to have them help with pruning projects.
But you have plenty of other ways to build your kids’ interest in gardening:

• Raise some easy-to-grow plants for kids. Favorites include green beans (pole beans, on a teepee, so kids can have a fort inside), nasturtiums, morning glories, mini pumpkins, and sunflowers.
• Plant things kids love to harvest, whether vegetables or flowers for bouquets. Just make sure you supervise children, especially if they’re using clippers or scissors.
• Encourage help by putting money in the till. Don’t forget the time honored tradition of paying your budding entrepreneurs for pulling weeds — though the going rate is probably no longer a penny a dandelion!