Dear Uncle Jim, this garden ground
That now you smoke your pipe around,
Has seen immortal actions done
And valiant battles lost and won.
Here we had best on tip-toe tread,
While I for safety march ahead,
For this is that enchanted ground
Where all who loiter slumber sound.
Here is the sea, here is the sand,
Here is simple Shepherd’s Land,
Here are the fairy hollyhocks,
And there are Ali Baba’s rocks.
But yonder, see! apart and high,
Frozen Siberia lies; where I,
With Robert Bruce and William Tell,
Was bound by an enchanter’s spell.
(R.L. Stevenson, A Child’s Garden of Verse {‘Historical Associations})
My little one was poorly last month so to cheer her up I sat down with her and we planned our garden. I used to dread the discussions with Tilly about what she would like to grow as she is not keen on courgettes, tomatoes or potatoes or mushrooms, and unfortunately I can’t magic up a chocolate tree. However, this year I couldn’t stop smiling as she joyfully made her seed selection. Seeing 4 year old get excited about coriander, carrots and pansies or levander sounds like a victory to me!
The weather warmed up enough so we directly sowed some seeds into our garden pots. We don’t have a massive garden or an allotment, but luckily you don’t need much space or money to garden; it’s still possible to grow a few of your favourite vegetables or flowers in containers.
♥♥ What is important is to finding a spot in the garden that they can call their own. It’s best to let them have a good, sunny patch which can always be reclaimed when they’ve left home. And the wonderful thing about container growing – they can plant up a fun, brightly coloured plastic pot or an old tin bath to sit in the sunniest spot.
♥♥♥If you are not sure about what to plant follow the lead of Innocent Smoothies who were offering one of six varieties of easy to grow seeds couple of months ago. Carrots, tomatoes, cress, basil, violets and sunflowers were all available as easy to grow plants. Or just simply pop into you local gardening centre and I am sure you will be spoilt for choices. There is also considerable amount of starter kits available on the market so just shop around for what is right for you and your little ones.
♥♥♥♥Apart from giving her something she actually wants to plant and somewhere to do it, I ensure she has metal, child-size gardening tools, gloves and watering cans to carry out the job well. But these are all sundries and while important they’re not the most crucial element to getting your child gardening. It’s a cliché but true – all they really want is time with you and that is perhaps the biggest investment you can make in growing gardeners.
Just a few photos of how my baby daughter grew to love gardens/flowers….
Happy Gardening!!!
Vero x
