A friend of mine recently started a garden, reminding me of my grandmothers garden long ago. I hadn’t thought about her garden in years, until a recent drive past the property she once owned. Shortly after, my friend showed me the garden she planted, and again I recalled my childhood experiences with gardening. You know how a song or smell, or even sometimes the way something looks, will bring you back to the experience? It is a magnificent feeling when the familiar smells of a time spent long ago come back to you in the present. The mere sight or thought of a garden, will deliver some of my favorite childhood memories. I think gardens and animals teach children to care for something outside of themselves. Gardens are particularly important to children who cannot have an animal. Because, when children are held responsible for nurturing a seed they planted in the soil, they experience the joy that comes from contributing to another life.
Gardens are spiritual, educational and pretty, in addition to a fantastic way to bond with your child or children, because they open the door for conversations, you will both remember and value forever. Caring for a garden, is not only rewarding, it prepares children for a fulfilling adulthood. I cherish the moments spent with my grandmother under a shaded oak admiring our vegetation, and talking about everything under the sun, in addition to the satisfying feelings of accomplishment and joy that went along with it. I remember the anticipation of watching a watermelon seed grow in one time- I couldn’t wait to get off the school bus every afternoon, run to the garden, and check on the porgress of my seed. And every time I looked at the rows of vegetables, the columns of life that I helped create, it made my heart sing. What a great gift my grandmother gave me by sharing her passion for gardening.
Therefore, exposing your children to gardening not only benefits everyone in the family, it encourages a life style and value system that will stay with them always.
There are many web sites and books that offer helpful suggestions for teaching and motivating children to garden. Therefore, help your children or grandchildren build memories of a time spent long ago gardening with their parents or grandparents.
And when your kids become grown-ups they will recall these experiences and think of their favorite childhood memories long ago. So gather the kids, the dog, some gloves, and a shovel, and start gardening Mom and Dad; I m sure the scarecrow will be happy to help!