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?
