In Honor of Mother's Day!

Plan to Play in Your Garden!

With Mothers’ Day approaching, make a plan to play in your garden with the young children in your life on a sunny day this spring.  The simplest equation can lead to happy moments and lasting memories:  moms/grandmas/aunts + kids + garden soil + seeds and sunshine = FUN!   As an added bonus, you should enjoy pretty flowers or fresh veggies in months ahead.

Gardening with children is filled with “teachable moments” and also encourages patience as they wait for sprouts to emerge and buds to form.  Even after the fruit or flower forms, they can observe the changes as each comes to fruition.

If you have a small child, grandchild, young niece or nephew, I encourage you to devote a small portion of your garden to those children and allow them “artistic license” when planting… (straight rows are not required!)

I’d like to share my recipe for FUN IN THE SUN, in honor of Mothers’ Day:

Ingredients

1 or 2 small children

One small plot of rich, loose soil** (use ribbon or yarn to mark off their garden)
  **can use large container if garden space is unavailable

Little garden tools, hand trowels, shovels

Kid-sized garden gloves (see photo)

Seeds or small plants (or both!)

Small watering can with water

Lots of love

Directions:   Plant, play, giggle, get dirty, enjoy the moment, enjoy the day!

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture