What’s In Our Garden?
Our gardens here in the South are in full swing. The kids are harvesting peppers, cherry tomatoes, beets, onions, herbs, zucchini, green beans, and a couple strawberries almost every other day. Here at the Educators’ Spin On It we strongly believe in the benefits of gardening with kids and blog about it often. In fact, I just checking this morning and we have 35 posts related to Kids in the Garden! So if you are looking for some inspiration – you have come to the right place!
Admittedly, gardening can be a challenge, but OH so worth it to see my 5 year old run to the garden and inhale 4 banana peppers in a row. Or to hear my 2 year old wake up in the morning screaming, “RED Tomato – I go pick it???” and finding a zucchini in the garden and saying, “Ooh, a BIG one!”
We don’t have a very big yard, but are making due with several raised garden beds. There are some great books and websites about companion gardening and which plants grow well with others, but in all honesty, I just let my kids plant things where they want to plant. This means that I have stuff growing everywhere. It may not be the prettiest garden, but it is theirs! We added the blueberry bushes a couple years ago and just got a few this year due to our unusual weather this winter and spring. (So we picked at a local farm!) Every year we try one new plant to see if we like it and we can grow it. The cow peas were our last adventure. We had so much fun with them and are now trying the purple ones!!!
Vegetables We Grow:
We have grown carrots, potatoes, and peas successfully each year. Not everything is perfect in our garden, and we are not afraid to admit it. I think that is one of the reasons that I like gardening with kids. It teaches them that there will be disappointments and failures in everything we do and that we must face these challenges with a positive, problem solving attitude. I also love it because my kids eat their veggies!!!
So glad that you could join in – This time of year does have a tendancy to get a little busy =) So happy to have you stop by and leave us a comment even with crazy days – it means a lot!!!
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment =) We really do have fun and learn lots in our little gardens!!!
Hats off to you and your Great Family Gardening Adventure…just great!
I just posted my activity for the virtual book club:) Sorry I'm a little late……been kinda crazy around here!!
Tammy
http://www.123teachwithme.com/2012/06/very-quiet-cricket-writing-activity.html
1…2…3…Teach With Me
We do have it easier for year round gardening in the South! But, I was extreemly impressed with my parents home-made cold frames. They were able to extend their vegetable growing season well into the snow covered months of winter this year in MN! My kids are much more in-tune with the world around them, and I attribute much of this to our gardening and conservation efforts!
Exactly!! If parents can teach their kids to garden and convey to them that we can grow tasty fruits and vegetables year round, they'd be so much more careful for the environment. Happy Gardening!
-Oscar Valencia