Henry Homeyer: Cultivating the love of gardening in children

Editor’s Note: Henry wrote this column in 2011.

By Henry Homeyer
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC

If you’re a gardener, chances are that you had a parent or grandparent that introduced you to the joys of gardening. I was introduced to gardening by my maternal grandfather, John Lenat of Spencer, Mass.

He was an organic gardener and a wise man. He never asked me to pull weeds, or to work in the garden by myself. He loved to garden, and I loved to be with him. He let me do tasks that were fun – like stirring the rain barrel full of hen manure and water that we mixed up to put on the tomatoes when I was only a pipsqueak.

On the other hand, I never got my stepson to fall in love with gardening. When Josh was little we had chores to do in the garden before we went for a swim or a hike. When I was a young dad, I didn’t have the right perspective. Gardening was about growing our food, and we all had to help. It was a duty, not a joy. Now that I’m a grampy, I have a different perspective. I want Josh’s kids, George and Casey, to love gardening and eating vegetables fresh off the vine. I don’t care how much work gets done when they visit our garden.

Children of all ages can learn to love gardening. Starting them young is the best approach. Give each child a small garden space that is just for use by that child. I’ve found that a good size for a first garden is the same size as the child: the child’s height for one dimension, and the “wingspan” the other way – the width of their reach with arms extended. A fun way to do this is to ask your little person to lie down on the lawn, arms extended, then measure for the box size.

Obviously you can just assign a spot in the garden to a child, but I like to build a small wooden box for a child – that makes it clearly theirs. I use ordinary 1-inch x 8-inch lumber – it will not last forever, but a child’s garden box is only needed for a few years. Never use pressure-treated lumber because it can leach poisons into the soil, and a splinter from a pressure treated lumber can cause a serious reaction.

You can make the job of building a raised bed easier by buying corner brackets that are designed for making a garden box using conventional lumber. During the gardening season, these are commonly found at garden centers and lumber yards.

I made my grandchildren’s garden boxes right on the lawn without even removing the sod. I just scalped the lawn with the mower, then put down six or more sheets of newspaper and set the box on top. I filled the boxes with a 50-50 mix of compost and top soil. The easiest way to do that is buy three to four bags of each and mix it up in a wheelbarrow. The nice thing about buying bags of soil and compost is that you will have no weeds or diseases for the first year.

It’s important for your child to grow things he or she likes, but also things that will do well in a small raised bed. So no watermelons or pumpkins – they are plants that spread too far. And it’s OK to leave part of the bed open for little trucks or tractors. Play in the garden is good, too.

When my grandson George was 6 he planted a Sun Gold cherry tomato and two rows of purple carrots. He loves eating both of those, and the idea of eating purple carrots was exciting for him. He had grown purple carrots the summer before and won a blue ribbon at the Cornish Fair. That’s good motivation for any young gardener.

When his sister Casey was 3, she planted potatoes with my help. I had forgotten how tricky it is for a 3-year old to plant anything! It really takes some guidance and help to get the holes in the right place and the right depth. Still, it is important to “guide” and not “do.” She did a great job planting, and really enjoyed harvesting. Digging potatoes is like going fishing when you know the fish will bite.

The day we planted I also had six-packs of blooming marigolds and Sweet William for the kids to plant. Unlike planting seeds or potatoes in the ground, flowers in bloom are nice right from day one – it’s immediate gratification.

Success is important, so be prepared to weed, thin and water if your children are not there every day. When they go off to camp, you’re in charge!

Be sure you wait until after frost before you plant annual flowers or any frost-sensitive veggies like tomatoes or peppers. Memorial Day weekend is the standard date for planting frost-sensitive plants, but watch the weather and don’t take any chances. No point in pushing the envelope in a child’s garden. Wait for a nice warm, sunny day and take your time.

Teenagers can garden, too. You might interest teenagers in planting pumpkins in your part of the garden so that they can have a Halloween party and carve the pumpkins with friends. Be sure to mix in lots of compost or aged manure at planting time. Or have a separate bed for your teenager planted with all the ingredients needed for making pizza: tomatoes, basil, peppers …

Let your kids enjoy the garden at their own pace. And remember: It’s all about having fun, learning and doing something healthy outdoors. If you do it right, you’ll have made your children into gardeners for life!