Growing a home garden can be a project in which kids can have an active role. Plant a kid's garden with vegetables and plants that are easy to grow and fast-growing so that your children can quickly observe the fruits of their labors. Learning how plants grow teaches kids the importance of their environment while tending a garden gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Who knows - it might even get them to eat a vegetable or two!
Things You'll Need
Oregano seeds
Basil seeds
3 tomato plants
Instructions
1. Prepare a 4-by-4-foot section of your yard that receives full sunlight for at least six hours a day to plant your garden. Use a rake to prepare the garden soil by loosening the existing soil and mixing it with compost. Create a border for the garden by placing 2-by-4 pieces of wood around its edges.
2. Sow oregano seeds 1 inch into the soil; place several seeds in each hole, in a row 10 to 12 inches apart.
3. Sow the basil seeds 1 inch into the prepared soil; place several seeds in each hole, 12 inches apart.
4. Use a shovel to dig a hole for each tomato plant that is 2 to 3 inches deep; the soil should cover the roots. Space the tomato plants 1 ½ to 2 feet apart in a row. Place the plants inside the holes, cover the roots with soil and tamp down the soil gently to secure the plants.
5. Use a shovel to plant the green and red bell peppers in the soil. Dig a hole for each pepper plant that is at least 2 inches deep to cover the existing roots. Place the pepper plants inside the holes and cover the roots with soil; lightly pack down the soil to secure the plants in place. Space the pepper plants 12 inches apart in one row.
6. Water the garden, thoroughly soaking the area. Water your garden once a week until the herbs begin to establish leaves and the tomatoes and peppers begin to develop their fruit. Then water as needed when the soil is dry.
7. Apply mulch to the garden to conserve moisture. Prune the herbs as they begin to increase in size to maximize leaf production.
Butterfly Garden
8. Research butterfly gardens with your kids to decide which plants should be grown in their butterfly garden. Plants that attract butterflies include coneflowers, lilacs, butterfly weeds and butterfly bushes. Choose a spot in your yard for the butterfly garden that receives full sunlight several hours during the day. Along fences or near house structures work well for these plants as each provides wind shelter that is conducive to the butterflies' reproduction.
9. Prepare the garden soil by tilling and adding compost to it to ensure that it contains enough nutrients for your plants to flourish.
10. Place a birdbath in the center of the garden and pour a layer of sand into it to create a muddy area for butterflies to gather at. Fill the birdbath with water.
11. Use a shovel to dig holes about 6 inches deep for the butterfly bushes. Situate the butterfly bushes in the back of the garden as these bushes can reach heights of up to 6 feet tall. Choose two different bushes to ensure a diversity of color in the garden.
12. Place the bushes in the prepared holes and cover the roots with soil. Use your shovel to tamp down the soil.
13. Lift the soil with a rake and broadcast the coneflower and purple verbena seeds directly into the soil in front of the butterfly bushes. Use the rake to cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. These plants attract butterflies with their small clusters of flowers.
14. Water the soil around the butterfly bushes and newly broadcasted flower seeds. Thoroughly soak the soil to encourage proper growth. Water weekly as needed to keep the soil moist.
15. Add mulch to the garden once the flower seeds begin to germinate to help prevent weeds and conserve water in the soil.
Tips & Warnings
Let the kids personalize their garden by creating colorful garden signs for each plant.
Place a bench near the garden for kids to sit on to watch their plants come to life.
Select kid-friendly garden themes. A Winnie the Pooh garden theme that includes vegetables often mentioned in the stories such as lettuce, carrots and radishes is one theme. Another idea is to pick flowers that bloom in the colors of crayons; this makes a bright and cheery garden kids will love to call their own.
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