Gardening for Tots: How Can I Get My Kids Involved and LOVE It? - December 2024

Back in March, under the Movement Control Order, many turned to hobbies as a way to destress, pass time, or develop themselves. Among those hobbies, was an old faithful, gardening. Photo Credit: AboutKidsHealth To inculcate the love of nature in our children, passing on this hobby would be a great start to a new beginning. Plus, it comes with a long list of benefits, for both mind, and body. Gearing Up Photo Credit: Amazon.in To get them started, purchasing a set of gardening tools, gloves, and gumboots, made for children, would certainly be a step in the right direction. Alternatively, you can use their gardening tools toy set, although that may not last long. Choosing The Time Photo Credit: Vintage Tree Care With Working From Home (WFH) the norm, scheduling gardening as part of the day's routine would be best. While gardening in the morning is ideal, the changing monsoon has made the weather a tad erratic. Keeping your gardening routine flexible will enable you to easily switch from morning to evening, depending on the weather. When gardening in the evening, avoid dusk as ravenous mosquitoes are out and about. Planning A Design Photo Credit: Pinterest No matter how big, or small the space is, with planning, and imagination, growing a garden is possible. Plants are very adaptable, and when cared for, flourish. If potting, or grounding a plant is not possible, try going vertical. Balconies make good planting spots too. Line the floor with a mat of artificial grass, then create a garden with your potted favourites. Use walls to create a hanging garden, or invest in good metal brackets to hang ferns, vines, or colourful blooms. To spark joy in the children, set aside a space for them indoors, or out. Alternatively, have them grow their own plants interspersed with yours. When all the digging and planting is done, sit back, and let nature take her course. Photo Credit: The Guardian Sourcing Ideas Gardening is flexibility at its best. How you plan your garden and grow it, depends on you. Some divide their garden into different sections, with plots for leafy plants, flowers, and edibles. Others mix everything up, growing edibles, amongst the blooms. If you are unsure of what you want, scour the internet for ideas. Pinterest is a good place to start - it's free, has loads of images, and links you to gardening portals. How good is that! Photo Credit: New York Magazine Ready, Set, Go! Before you start, here are a few housekeeping rules: Don gloves, and shoes before gardening, Keep an eye out for critters, as some can be poisonous, like centipedes, or bees, Do not eat anything without washing it thoroughly, Do not to touch faces, eyes, noses or mouths when gardening, Wash hands thoroughly with soap after gardening, Children should be supervised at all times. If you have babies at home, it would be best to keep indoor plants out of reach, since some may be poisonous. To make gardening a cinch, we have selected some of the easier, fuss-free plants for you to start with. Photo Credit: Plantopedia Dracaena Fragrans Also known as the Corn Plant, this hardy one grows fast with very little care. Leaves are either deep green or a combination of yellow and green. It thrives indoors, outdoors, in a pot, or on the ground. Colloquially known as the Iron Plant, it is almost impossible to die, which explains its continuing popularity. Could anyone ask for more? Photo Credit: Miracle-Gro Ficus Elastica Also known as the Rubber Plant, this is another hardy one. While mature leaves are coloured maroon, or dark green, new shoots burst into life in striking red. Unless you have a huge garden, be wary about grounding this plant as it grows voraciously. Peperomia Obtusifolia Photo Credit: Biemond Nurseries Also known as the Baby Rubber Plant, this is a delight to grow, indoors or out. With perfectly formed leaves, it brings a touch of the aesthetic to any home. Portulaca Grandiflora Photo Credit: Mississippi State University Extension Service Also known as the Japanese, or the Moss Rose, these hardy, quick growing flowers are firm favourites in any garden. They come in a riot of colours and look beautiful, whether potted, grounded, or hung as part of a vertical garden. Since they are very lush, pruning them will be necessary to temper growth. Hibiscus Rosa-Sinesis Photo Credit: Culture Trip Our very own national flower, the hibiscus, or Bunga Raya, is another staple in Malaysian homes. Like the Japanese rose, it comes in a variety of blooms. If grounded, the hibiscus grows into a bush, which will need pruning from time to time. Hibiscuses love the sun, and the outdoors is the best place for them. Asplenium Nidus Photo Credit: San Diego Zoo Animals and Plants The Bird's Nest fern is a beautiful addition to any garden. It grows outdoors, on branches, grounded, or in pots. The more ground you give this beauty, the bigger will it grow. It thrives in the shade and needs only intermittent watering. When watering, it is best to saturate the base of the plant with water. Nephrolepis Exaltata Photo Credit: Vitesy Commonly known as the Boston, or Sword Fern, this is another easy plant to grow. While best viewed as a hanging plant, this adaptable fern can be potted or grounded. It prefers the shade to the sun and will do very well indoors. Photo Credit: Pinterest Mums, we hope you have fun in the sun gardening with the children. It is a joy and delight to the senses for everyone. Starting them young, will give them the opportunity to channel their energy, and passions into a fruitful, and perhaps permanent hobby. Even if they do not take to it, the experience will certainly engender warm childhood memories. Who knows, perhaps with late bloomers, this latent love may eventually come to fruition. Never say never!

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