Gardening a great learning tool for children
Planting, growing vegetables an easy way to begin
Calgarians Maria Lavelle and her husband, Greg, are teaching their three-year-old son about gardening, because they want him to know where food comes from.
“Nicholas only has the concept that we go to the grocery store to get food. We want him to know how to garden and where food comes from. We want him to know that it grows on plants, and when he is a bit older, we want him to have the ability to garden and grow food himself,” says Lavelle.
This year, they decided to get a plot at their neighbourhood garden, the Banff Trail Community Garden. They showed Nicholas how to plant seeds — beets, carrots and green peppers — plus strawberry and tomato plants. The family goes to the community garden once a week to play in the playground, check on how their garden plot is doing, and do some watering.
“Nicholas enjoys watering the plants. He enjoys squirting water. ... He was very excited when the first strawberry ripened last weekend and he got to eat it,” Lavelle says.
Their garden has done very well — “and it’s not because we have any particular skills. It’s quite straightforward, and people are always willing to give you some tips. You don’t need a lot of knowledge to get started.”
Growing things they can eat is an excellent way to get younger children involved in gardening, according to bestselling gardening author Jim Hole, co-owner of the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert.
“First of all, there is a sense of accomplishment. They take a lot of pride in growing these vegetables. They also have something tangible they can grab onto and eat.”
A child may be reluctant to eat a certain vegetable, but if they grow it themselves, they’ll eat it — or at least give it a try, says Hole, who recommends growing a small patch of peas.
“They grow rapidly and are so delicious. And for kids, there are really very few who dislike peas.”
Carrots are another easy vegetable to grow in Alberta. Planting fragrant plants is another fun thing for children to do — anything that focuses on the senses.
Hole also thinks it’s important for children to understand that the bugs they see in the garden are not scary or creepy. He’s done this with his own family. From the time his daughter was very young, Hole got her to handle insects, so she would understand they were not going to hurt her.
“They are really fascinating creatures, and you don’t have to run away when you see them. The vast majority of insects are beneficial or, at the very least, innocuous in the garden. It’s getting beyond the idea that insects are to be feared and eliminated from everybody’s yard. When they have a healthy attitude toward insects, they will have a better appreciation for the entire ecosystem.”