How Lisa Graf Grew to Love Gardening + Family Garden Ideas
I often ask people that enjoy gardening how they learned to garden and they almost always tell me that that they learned from a parent or grandparent.
I was fortunate to have the experience of following my grandmother around as she waged her own personal war on weeds. She would always remind me of the importance of getting the roots when pulling weeds. I was fascinated as I watched her check on the small shrubs she was starting with slips (her term) under mason jars in a small area she designated for propagating. She always grew mint and then would cut it to make refreshing mint tea that she served the farm workers in a time before pop machines were popular. My own mother was plagued by allergies so she did not enjoy gardening as much, but she was so supportive and encouraging as my interest in gardening grew as a teenager.
This weekend as we celebrate Mother’s Day, consider how you can share your love of gardening with a child. We encourage you to come up with gardening ideas for your family. If you need some inspiration, we have listed some of our favorite gardening ideas below.
Here are a few gardening ideas for families…
- Plant a spaghetti pot or pizza pot with plum tomatoes and Italian herbs such as basil, parsley, and oregano. Later enjoy harvesting and making a homemade spaghetti dinner together.
- Plant a miniature fairy garden. This can be done in a container or in a bed and is so much fun with miniature accessories and plants link i en blogg. You can change it seasonally and children can enjoy learning to care for it.
- Plant a themed garden such as a butterfly garden, fragrant garden, secret garden, or any other type of garden that interests you and your child. I know someone that planted a moonlight garden with white flowers and solar lights and another person who has a chocolate garden with plants that have the word chocolate in the name such as chocolate mint. Perhaps you can plant a theme garden around a favorite book or movie.
- Designate a space in your landscape for your child to choose and plant anything that interests them. This always reminds me of Ben’s garden. Ben is now a teenager with other interests, but as a child he visited the garden center each year to pick out plants that interested him to plant in his own garden. The staff always enjoyed seeing what he would pick out each year.
- Plant sunflower seeds together and then later plant them in the garden. Take pictures as they grow and tower over the children. Later, enjoy feeding the birds with them in the fall and winter.
- Plant a vegetable garden. Whether you have a large space or just a little bit of room for a few pots, this can be a fun family activity. Be creative and have fun planting a pizza garden full of tomatoes, peppers and onions. Who says vegetable gardens must be square? It could be a circle like a pizza. Many children are excited to try new vegetables when they grow them.
- Create a secret garden. Plant pole beans or another vine growing in a tepee shape on poles or on fences to create privacy which will provide a secret spot for spending lazy summer days.
