Gardening with toddlers
Frantic Gardener on May 21st 2007
For those planning to garden with toddlers, a word of advice - or several!
1. sow more than you need. When they help you pot on our plant out, there are a fair few casualties. Better just to be cheerful and have spares.
2. always have some pea or bean seeds for them to be busy planting anywhere if you have something a bit more delicate to do.
3. make sure your structures are really strong, and if something looks like a corridor, don’t plant along it, or excited feet will trample them down.
4. it is going to take way longer to do anything. for example I planted out 6 beans, and then DD2 required a hug for nearly an hour before being distracted by her trike. After 4 more beans, DD1 wanted to twine flowers in my hair.
5. Smile. growing is to instill a love for the land in them as well. me being uptight wont achieve that. I can always nip ou and fill in gaps. If its fiddly to sow and grow its best to wait until they are doing something else, or leave it out altogether
How do you cut the grass with them around? I am considering gardening with my baby. I am a first time gardener and mom. She is 16 months and getting very acquainted with our yard. My hubby does not cut grass because he has allergies. So I have been thinking of propositioning to take the grass cutting money he invests bi-weekly and use it to garden. I am a stay at home mom who does some home schooling already.
Am I being unrealistic. No I have no nanny. But the yard is the only place I can let her roam for a while without her knocking down everything. It is currently giving me some time to read and relax.
I might be in over my head, but I am thinking of trying. Ps I am not really a girly girl (more of a techie, former childhood tree climbing girl). What do you think?
well, i have to say we are a bit notoriously poor at cutting the grass regularly. the children don’t mind the meadow look. it usually gets done in the eve when they are in bed. if you have one at 16 months and had a sling, you could do it with that. but a job best done when they are asleep.
do it, it is fun to do with your child. planting big bulbs [non poisonous if they are the trying to eat it kind!!] cheap and cheerful annual flowers for them to pick, and also easy veggies that they can investigate and eat - peas are a real winner as there is the fun of podding them and eating them in the garden, and little maintenance.