THE GOOD LIFE
Advice for smallholders
Fed up of the sight of children glued to their devices while the sun is shining outside? Then it’s time to encourage a love of gardening. Not only is it a great way to drag them away from screens, but it’s a fun family activity that provides all-important contact with nature – and it’s great for their mental health, too. Whether they’re toddlers or teens, here’s how to spark their gardening imaginations…
OFFER THEM THEIR OWN PATCH
This way, you can give them free rein and not worry about them accidentally digging up something you’ve lovingly planted. Choose a sunny spot with good soil so that anything they plant will grow well. A small raised bed, large planter on the terrace or even a couple of growbags can work well, as children can easily reach the middle for planting and weeding. If you put it in sight of the house, they can watch their crop flourish without having to go outside to check it every day.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TOOLS
Forget plastic spades (they tend to break in anything other than a sandpit) and invest in a set of children’s gardening tools, which are the right size for their hands. A trowel, hand fork and watering can is enough for younger children, but older ones might like to have a garden fork or spade so they can really get into the digging. All ages will love a wheelbarrow.
GET THEM HOOKED
Their enthusiasm for gardening doesn’t have to start from scratch; it’s easier to build on something they’re already interested in. Maybe that’s butterflies or bugs (plant wildlife-friendly flowers and build bug houses); older children and teens’ interest
might be piqued by growing produce for an Instagramworthy salad or hand-tied bouquet of flowers.
WHAT TO GROW
Children are often fascinated by watching a seed transform into a plant – and one of the things gardening teaches is patience – but it can still help to speed things up a bit. Quick-growing crops, such as salad leaves, rocket or radishes, are ready to eat in as little as four weeks. Alternatively, buy young plants that are ready to flower or fruit almost immediately. Crops that can be eaten straight from the plant (peas, strawberries and cherry tomatoes) will be popular with younger children, while older ones might be interested in growing varieties not available in the supermarket, such as purple carrots, stripy beetroot and black tomatoes.
The RHS runs events, including seed planting and garden trails, for children (rhs.org.uk). The Little Seedlings Club for four- to ten-year-olds is held monthly in Dobbies Garden Centres (dobbies.com).