When you ask avid gardeners about their first garden memory, they often reminisce about a caring grandparent or parent who taught them about growing plants and sparked their lifelong interest.

They’ve learned that gardening isn’t just about growing pretty plants and flowers or raising your own fruits and veggies. It also provides them with less tangible benefits: stress reduction, relaxation, a personal relationship with nature, exercise and fresh air, a satisfying sense of accomplishment or sometimes even a creative outlet.

Research has also shown gardeners tend to have healthier diets because they eat more fresh veggies and fruit.

Just think, you can raise your own little gardener by teaching your child or grandchild how to garden.

Now that the gardening season has arrived, I have some suggestions for how to start young ones on their own gardening path. If your budget allows, buy the little gardeners garden gloves and tools that fit their smaller size. It’s too difficult for them to garden with grownup gear. If tools for little hands aren’t available, let them use big spoons for digging and planting.

Don’t forget a sun hat, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes and, of course, a child-sized watering can.

Their own garden patch: Start out small by gardening in a modest space. I suggest an area not much larger than 3-by-3 feet. It’s big enough to grow a few crops, but not too much hard work for a young child. A tomato plant, a sweet pepper plant, carrots and some leaf lettuce are plenty for the small space. The lettuce and carrots grow quickly and the kids will love to eating the carrots or a salad with lettuce they grew themselves. An early ripening determinate cherry or patio tomato is great because they can easily pick the little “toms” and pop them in their mouth out in the garden.

If you have a little extra space, consider planting a tall sunflower. They are so much fun for young and old. Once the flower appears, you can watch it follow the sun during the day. A small pumpkin patch also is a delight. If you don’t have much space, you might want to consider planting a bush or semi-bush variety such as Bushkin, Tricky Jack, Spirit, Sugar Treat, Oz or Trick or Treat. Pumpkin seeds are easy even for the smallest gardener to plant by themselves.

Don’t forget flowers: I have a particular fondness for brightly colored zinnias because they, along with marigolds, were the flowers I planted in my first garden. You can grow these easily and less expensively from seed or you can buy transplants at the garden store. Young gardeners can raise these in a small garden bed or in a container garden.

Take your little gardeners with you to the nursery and let them chose some flowers for their colorful container garden. Zinnias and marigolds are easy to grow, but “Wave” petunias will reward any gardener with lots of flowers and vigorous growth.

Jack and the beanstalk: Even the youngest gardener can plant scarlet runner beans. These big beans grow into vigorous climbing vines the will reach for the sky. They need support to climb, so be sure to provide a metal trellis, a chain link fence, or a simple tall wooden stake or pole. When mature, the scarlet runner bean vines produce bright red flowers. The beans are edible, but the vine is mostly grown for its pretty flowers.

What’s better or more fun than being out in the garden with your own homegrown little gardener? Not much.

* Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for the Washington State University Extension Office in Benton County.

source : www.tri-cityherald.com