I believe that there is much to be learned through gardening, especially when the gardener is a child. Patience, responsibility, preparedness, diligence, and caring are qualities that can be cultivated when a child actively nurtures a plant from seed to harvest.
For as long as I can remember, weeding has been a part of my life. When my siblings and I were kids, we'd jump on a trailer pulled by our father's riding mower to our half-acre garden a mile down the road. Pulling weeds was a chore that was only made bearable by the occasional ripe tomato, pepper, or bean that I ate fresh from the stalk. These days, other than some herbs and tomatoes, the garden in my tiny backyard is filled with pollinator-friendly plants.
When my first grandchild was just a toddler, I decided to set aside a corner of my yard as a special place where he could explore and play, all while learning about taking care of a garden. Little by little, a gnome village took root. Under the maple tree, we planted shade-loving ferns, hosta, and black-eyed Susan. We grew goldenstar, bugleweed, and creeping phlox, all forms of ground cover that could withstand the trample of little feet. Together we created a magical world that set the foundation for a love of nature and gardening. Since then, three more grandchildren have brought their ideas and creativity to Gnome Village. Every April, we do our spring cleanup, where the kids pick up sticks and twigs, rake leaves, and repair the tiny structures in this otherworldly spot in our backyard. The sense of ownership they have for this 50-square-foot plot of land is remarkable.
All four grandkids look forward to helping out in my garden, too. Mulching, staking tomatoes in large planters, and planting new flowers are among the tasks they enjoy. I always add a few new annuals in the spring to infuse more color until the summer perennial blooms arrive. A trip to the local garden center to allow the kids to help choose the annuals is always fun.
Once the bee balm, coneflowers, salvia, lavender, coreopsis, and cosmos begin to bloom and the bees and butterflies abound, I'm afforded the perfect opportunity to educate my young gardeners about the importance of planting pollinator-friendly flowers.
The most rewarding part of the entire cycle of growth is when the garden is in full bloom and the kids create a pretty bouquet to give to someone special or when they pick a tomato off the vine and enjoy the burst of flavor that they helped create. Last summer we made a delicious Margherita pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden.
My youngest grandchildren are 6-year-old twins. I may have a couple more years before Gnome Village no longer holds their imagination, but the seeds sown in the tiny plot of ground under the maple tree are likely to grow in ways never imagined.
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