Drippin' Gardening April 18

April and Easter have arrived. We are now fully into the gardening year – but for those souls who stay indoors all winter and stick their nose out over the Easter weekend to sniff the air the time to leave the house has arrived. I could probably entertain you with a few good April Fools jokes I have been a part of but, well, I have no time for April Fools jokes – its gardening time!

Easter is often viewed as the “official start” of the gardening season even when we have a late Easter as we do this year. But no matter when we celebrate Easter, and even for those of us who putter about in the garden whenever we can, there is something cathartic about the Easter weekend. It is a turning point. A marker in the year. The beginning of new opportunities and a time for optimism. 

So, what gardening activities would I suggest for you? Well, it’s good to mow the grass after we have had a good rain – but not on Easter Sunday when a bit of peace and quiet would be preferable to a whining engine. I would wait until Monday to give the lawn a gentle haircut. 

Now, with that bit of ‘housekeeping’ done it is really time to look at the vegetable garden. As a boy I played outside all the time. There were no computer games or mobile phones. I had a cap gun and I would run here and there pretending I was in Starsky and Hutch. I climbed trees, played tag with friends, or just went on quiet hikes in the fields full of spring blooms. 

When I wasn’t playing outside with my buddies you could find me in the garden, I would spend lots of time in the garden with my grandparents. I loved the time I spent with them and would have gladly helped out even if I didn’t earn a bit of pocket money by doing so. Looking back nearly 50 years later I still smile when I remember those time in ‘the patch.’ 

I was lucky, we had a nice sized garden, a big yard to play in, and I had adults raising me who absolutely understood the importance of getting kids into the garden. In fact, every Easter we would gather with my grandparents for the traditional Easter egg hunt, and every year my grandmother and I would sneak off to the garden, she would take me on a tour, showing me the new season’s garden plans. It was a delightful time, great memories, it was our special time together. I look back now on those wonderful Easter memories and I am extremely thankful that I was raised by people who loved gardens and that because of their love for me and for gardening, they took the time to be sure their knowledge was passed on.

Easter is all about new beginnings, so why not use this holiday to start your kids on gardening? Get into the garden with the kids and start to build some wonderful Easter gardening memories with them. Invest that small amount of time with them, share your love of growing things and playing in the dirt. Trust me, you will never come to the end of your days wishing you had spent less time with your children and grandchildren. Besides, it’s an amazing way to teach them about plants and nature, as well as to develop in them, the virtues of patience and nurturing.

I believe that all children can and really ought to have an opportunity to spend a little quality time in a garden. It can give them a marvelous new hobby that will encourage exercise and healthy living, and maybe even a life-long love of growing and encouraging life.

So, have a look at these ideas, and think about getting your little sprouts out in the garden this Easter! There are lots of easy plants to start them on, and they will be so excited as they watch their own plants grow and develop.

You can create a simple seed tray and let children sow their own plants. This is a perfect time to sow summer vegetables and flowers. Try pansies and calendula, or even tomatoes and green beans. Just grow them on the windowsill and keep the compost moist but not soaking. This is so easy, and your kids will think you are marvelous! 

You can sow seeds in all sorts of containers too. Excite them by getting them to find their own unique planters. Try egg cartons, old mugs, broken toys, tin cans, a toy train, or anything that can hold a bit of soil for a start. You might even pop in to the local thrift store and look for random treasures to recycle as planters. Let both your own and their imaginations go to work.

Perhaps give them their own special corner of the garden. Keep it small and manageable and get them to plant and water it. The sense of ownership and responsibility will make them feel so grown up. They will be proud of their patch as it starts to grow. They will even be more willing to eat vegetables that they have grown themselves! A trip to the garden center will give you plenty of inspiration.

As for me, I love to get my Grandson out planting tomatoes, America’s favorite garden vegetable. Tomatoes are the perfect choice for spring gardening with young children. They are sturdy and not too particular about the quality of soil. Even if you don't have a big yard, you can grow tomatoes in a window box or a flower pot on the porch. Grow the tomato plants from seeds in small pots indoors and then transfer them outside once they've sprouted, or you can skip the seeds altogether. Just buy young tomato plants that are already sprouted and then plant them outdoors right away. I suggest cherry tomatoes for children, they are ‘snack sized’ and ready to harvest much sooner than their larger cousins.

Choose a sunny location and dig a hole in the ground that is deep enough for all the roots and about 12 inches wide. Help your child carefully take the plant from its original container and transfer it into the hole. Pack soil in the hole and around the plant. Check the moisture level every day and water the plants as necessary. If you have any questions about how much water or sunlight your tomato plants need, visit your local gardening center and ask the staff - another fun activity for kids.

You don't want the plants to get too heavy and fall over. Therefore, when they reach about 10 inches high, you need to provide them with a little support. Stick a wooden stake into the soil right next to the plant and tie it with a string or buy wire tomato cages at the gardening center to provide the support your tomato plants need. Your kids will love checking the plants every day to see their fruits turning from green to red. When the tomatoes are red and ripe, your children can gently twist them to pick them from the plant. 

From seeds to harvest, talk to you kids about the growth process and all it takes to nurture the tomato plants and help them thrive. Gardening is a fun experience for young kids and the whole family.