It’s Time to Plant a Garden With Children
Now that COVID-19 has turned everything off, we all need ways to deal with the stress of what might happen while all our normal coping mechanisms have disappeared. This is doubly true for parents with children, now that schools and kindergartens are closed, the play area is no longer safe and there are no play activities .
Meanwhile, many jobs have shifted to work from home, and you are expected to continue working at the same pace, aside from all the additional parenting responsibilities.
Hope Jaren , biologist and author of The Lab Assistant and The Story of More , suggests to parents whose children are stuck at home.
Depending on the amount of space available and the amount of energy your kids need to put in, gardening can be as simple as growing a few herbs in a pot, or as difficult as planting a large vegetable garden.
“Kids can’t smash dirt,” Jaren said. “Plus, they will learn biology by seeing it in action. A lesson in itself. “
Consider available space
The first step is to consider the space you have. For someone it will be a courtyard, for someone a balcony, for someone a window sill. Even if you are short on space , you can still grow plants. It just takes a little creativity and also a willingness to look outside of the traditional garden plot.
The next step is to think about what kind of plants you want to grow. The easiest (and cheapest) way to get started is to buy multiple packets of seeds, whether from a plant nursery, grocery store, hardware store, or online.
Easy to grow vegetables
As Jaren points out, some of the best vegetables to start with are beans. “Beans of any kind are easy to grow!” she said. Peas or green beans are easy to grow, as are radishes. “Beets are fun to work with because they mostly take care of themselves,” Jahren said. “Just don’t forget to eat the tops!”
Other easy- to-grow vegetables include carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, and salad greens. Zucchini are also known to grow well, to the point that your neighbors will hate you for putting all your baseball bat-sized squash on them.
Consider growing conditions
When it comes to planting for an outdoor garden, it is important to think about the growing conditions. What and when you plant will depend on where you live and what time of year. Each region of the country is divided into zones, which allows you to determine which plants can grow in your area, as well as the growing season of each plant. It is important to find out which zone you are in, what the growing season for different plants depends on. You may also need to make some soil changes like adding compost to keep your plants happy.
However, if this all sounds too much, don’t overdo it. In the worst case, you might end up wasting a few seeds along the way once you’ve got it all sorted out. At best, you will get some vegetables or herbs for your efforts.
Make a growing schedule
Once you have the seeds and have thought about where you are going to plant them, the next step is to set a schedule. As Jaren suggests, read the instructions on the seed bags, write down planting and harvesting guidelines for each, and then create a rolling schedule for spring, summer, and fall.
Once you’ve got it all figured out, grab a garden shovel, grab the seed bags and start planting! After a while, if all goes well, you will enjoy your results.
Who knows, it might even convince your kids to eat vegetables.