Dig It

It’s time get your hands dirty. And that’s not a metaphor.

Plant the gardening seed in your child’s imagination this summer by introducing them to the magic of nature in their own backyard or community plot.

Ditch the myth of the green thumb (anyone can nurture a plant to grow with a little practice) and start with some Calgary-friendly plants like a fuzzy perennial Lamb’s Ear or annual and (edible nasturtiums), pansies or marigolds. (Did you know you can eat young dandelion leaves in your salad?)

Or follow the path to the veggie patch. Kids love to eat what they have planted and many vegetables such as lettuce or squash are easy to grow. (It’s especially helpful for kids who are less inclined to eat their greens.) We particularly love growing pumpkin plants (ripe just in time for Halloween) and found large, organic bedding plants at Community Natural Foods.

Herbs like basil, mint and dill are easy to stick in a pot, and kids love that you can eat the leaves right off the plant (so do we). Make it even more fun (and add a little responsibility) for kids by giving them their own mini-garden in a planter, complete with their own watering can and gardening gloves available at any garden centre. We like taking the kids to Sunnyside Home and Garden Greenhouses because of the resident parrot.

If you are looking for additional ideas, or a little self-confidence, consider signing up for the Calgary Horticultural Society’s Gardening with Kids workshop this Saturday. The program runs for three hours, and is designed for kids six to eight with a parent in attendance (because we need all the help we can get). The program costs $60 for non-members and you can register online.

Or consider signing up your school-aged child for one of the summer programs at Kulinary Kids. These three or four-day camps focus on food production and the kids visit a working farm to find out where their food actually comes from (not the grocery store) before they cook and eat.

We won’t promise Mother Nature will be on your side—she tends to like frost in May, hail in June and drought in August—but we can promise your kids will be delighted with your yield no matter what. Tested by Heather J., Calgary