Pass on the gardening bug

How to instill a love of nature in kids

Finding ways to connect children with gardens and nature is more or less what gets me out of bed each day. Apart from all the data about children needing more green time instead of screen time, I suspect the idea that we can share the awe of nature with younger generations is something most people in history have felt at some stage.

Sharing the magic and beauty of plants and gardens cuts across cultures and borders. I have visited or looked over the fence at private and community gardens here and around the world, and spoken the language of gardens with adults and children – all without uttering a word.

This is why I love getting children into the garden. It’s a passport to the world on every level imaginable: the world of nature and ecology and biology and geography; the importance of health and nutrition and harvest and seasonality; the joy of sharing and cooking and sitting and talking; and the physical and emotional therapy that the beauty of nature can bring us. Walking in a garden, forest or bushland immerses us in nature, a form of meditation or therapy the Japanese call ‘forest bathing’. Offering this to our children sets them up for a lifetime of health and understanding that cannot be downloaded and applied through an app.

So, how do we get these connections established between our children and the natural world around them? What tips and tricks can we use to get their energy and enthusiasm focused on the outside world – the plants, gardens, flowers, bees, birds, frogs, trees, fruit, vegetables, creeks, lakes, streams, rivers, ocean and beaches?

Here are 10 simple ways to get started. It is not about imposing a rigid framework or giving instructions. The easiest way to get kids interested is to model a genuine love for plants and gardens through your own habits and spontaneous gestures.

1 MODEL WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO

This is the simplest approach I know. Children love to do what you are doing, particularly if you build some tension and create an air of excitement around the process. When you know kids will be around, plan to be outside in the garden at the time. It lures them away from the lounge or the TV or computer, and you are then seen to be doing what you believe in, without having to talk about it. Reveals are also a nice way to get attention: “Do you want to come and search for strawberries?” Or: “I’m going to lift the compost lid and see what is happening.” Or: “I think there are some tomatoes ready to be picked – maybe we can eat some fresh off the vine…”

2 BUILD HABITS AND ROUTINES

Being outside in the garden when kids are at your place is one thing, but it’s best to create habits and routines. If you have a regular family dinner once a week or month when everyone gets together, then make the habit of saying let’s get together a half hour earlier to do some treasure hunts or harvesting in the garden. Set up a seasonal routine where you take the children in your world for a visit to the botanic garden. Call it a bus trip, call it a picnic, call it exploration... whatever you call it, do it regularly, and build that sense in your family of ‘this is what we do’. Over time, it becomes like visiting old friends – a wonderful routine. bganz.org.au

3 GROW SOMETHING FROM SEED

Introduce a young person to the sheer awe and joy of watching a seed germinate and grow into a seedling. Keep it interesting by selecting plants with different sized seeds, such as pumpkins and broad beans, with their larger seeds, through to the tiny seeds of lettuce and carrot. Growing wheat seeds or sprouts on moist paper towel in a container on the windowsill is another easy project where you can share the awe together. seedsavers.net

4 START A CONTAINER GARDEN TOGETHER

Start small and build it up step by step. By growing the project slowly, you can grow enthusiasm and interest, and build excitement and gain traction as you go. Start by growing something like herbs, which are not only easy to grow but can also be turned into a topping for pizza or a pesto or something that kids love to eat. Cherry tomatoes are an easy option and the returns are there for the picking. Lettuce and silverbeet can be harvested and turned into salad or spinach triangles or spinach pie that the children can help you make. You can grow that connection between seed, soil, harvest and plate.

5 GO TO A TALK OR WORKSHOP

Make it random and keep it different. It could be your local council and its sustainability team, or it could be a flower or garden show. It could be a talk or workshop at the local garden centre or nursery or art gallery or museum, or even the local library. There is so much going on, so pull the odd random event and take the kids on an adventure. I’m excited at the thought of it!

6 JOIN A GROUP AS A JOINT PROJECT

Give them some options around a local group that you could volunteer with together. It could be Junior Landcare for younger children or Intrepid Landcare for teens and young adults. Maybe it could be Take 3 For

The Sea, where they can connect to the importance of keeping land waste from entering our oceans and waterways, or you could clean up litter on a beach with Responsible Runners, or even help out at your local community garden. The bottom line is that getting children involved with volunteering opens up a whole world of community connections and potential career pathways for them, which can change and enrich their lives. landcareaustralia.org.au; intrepidlandcare.org; take3.org; responsiblerunners.org

7 VIST YOUR LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKET

Introduce children to markets, and meet the people who grow food. Make it once a month or whenever you can, with a view again to building a habit. Introduce the kids to the growers, and build communication. The growers often give samples of their produce, and they will remember the children, so the more you take them there, the more they will feel like part of the growing tribe. farmersmarkets. org.au

8 PUT GARDENS ON THE HOLIDAY MAP

Before going on a school holiday trip or even a weekend away, sit down and see where any botanic or community gardens may be along the way. Pick and plan a course that can include some brief stops. Rather than a highway rest stop, why not take an exit and have a cuppa and a sandwich at a local community garden. Even let the locals know you are coming, and I’m sure someone will be there to welcome you and show you around. Connect with gardens through the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network. community garden.org.au

9 COLLECT CACTI AND SUCCULENTS

There are so many fascinating cacti and succulents to choose from, to spark the creative growing imagination of children. From echerveria succulents to the massive array of cacti, there is something for every imagination. You could go to a nursery or garden centre together and pick your way through the options. How about starting a small basket of succulents? Or potting up some gifts? There are heaps of great ideas for gardening with succulents on the Gardening Australia website. Create some little gardens, give them as gifts, and help the kids build up an inspiring track record of growing successes. abc.net.au/gardening

10 GIVE THE GIFT OF GARDENING

Birthdays, Christmas, first day of school, graduation from kindy or Year 1. There is always an opportunity to give a gift, so make it connected to nature: a hand trowel or rake, a packet of seeds, a ticket to a workshop, a carnivorous plant… the possibilities really are endless.