Monday, April 8, 2013

G: Get Your Gardening On!

Coming from a long line of gardeners who have encouraged their children to help from an early age, gardening and working with the land just comes naturally to me. It’s in my blood, so every spring, I’m itching to get out in the yard to prepare the garden beds and to begin planning the yearly crops and new flowers.

This year I have the opportunity to plant a larger vegetable garden than I’ve had available in quite a while. We now have our own home, so I have a zillion other landscaping projects cluttering my mind as well. I’ve even been researching climbing strawberries as a possible addition to our back yard. I am super excited about making my back yard a haven for my family, while utilizing some of that space for delicious produce for all of us to share this year and many years from now.

I am getting my kids just as excited about our gardens. My 5-year-old daughter agreed with me that we need strawberries. Additionally, she has put her order in for some new flowers around our home. Like her mommy, she adores flowers of so many shapes, sizes, and colors.

My 7-year-old son, on the other hand, has asked for lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and carrots. He is looking forward to lots of salads, more of my homemade spaghetti sauce, and maybe even some pickles this year. Oh, and he also wants an endless supply of green onions--one of his favorite things to snack on.

Both of my parents passed on to me their love of gardening and beautifying the outdoors. My mom has always been amazing in the garden, while my dad taught me almost everything I know about designing landscapes and maintaining healthy lawns, trees, hedges, and scrubs. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to learn more with my own children and to help them see how fulfilling and fun gardening can be. I hope as they grow they will stay interested and eventually pass the gardening passion on to their own kids. It feels amazing to think that some family traditions may never be broken!

Are you planting a garden this year and having your kids or grandkids help?

4 comments:

  1. I didn't get into gardening until 2011 when we moved into a house that had some land with it. I am slowly trying to gain a green thumb! I've just dug out a 4x7 patch for my first raised bed. Last year I tried container gardening and had some moderate success and tons of failures! This year I'm hoping that with a larger plot I'll actually be able to cook or preserve what I grow.

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  2. I've had a garden for the last fifteen years. Some years it's bigger than others, but last year was a pretty successful crop. I'm hoping this year follows suit. I've never tried climbing strawberries but we have a lot of the regular kind.

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  3. My mother has always loved gardening, but I was never able to take after her in that regard. I just don't have a green thumb. The desire she create in me for yummy, fresh food, however, makes me want to garden anyway just so I can have the results of the garden! :)

    #atozchallenge, Kristen's blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com

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  4. I am blissfully single, but I do try to garden sometimes. In fact, I have been for years attempting to grow an herb garden. I was able to have one many years ago, but then we moved house and it's been a struggle to keep one since then. Happy gardening and Happy blogging!

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