Are you planting a garden this year? There are so many benefits to planting even the smallest garden. Whether you have a good space for a nice sized garden or you just do a little, window garden, growing things is good for you and good for the whole family. Pick a couple of plants that you’re likely to eat and enjoy for the best success. Here are a few little thoughts and conversations to enjoy with your family:
- Start a vegetable from seed and watch it sprout! How often do we consider that every vegetable on this earth starts from a seed in the ground and not in the grocery store?
- Watch how a flower transforms–what are the different stages, and the purpose for each stage? Wow! That flower is turning into a strawberry!
- What if we always had to wait for a seed to grow, flower, and fruit before we could eat it–yay for farmers, who keep us well supplied all year long!
- What kind of food are we eating today for our lunch that started as a seed? Nope, fruit snacks don’t count! 😉
- What herbs do we use that we can grow? Close your eyes and guess the smell (basil, cilantro, mint, sage, thyme)
- Did you know that you can put the white parts of your green onions in water and they will sprout and give you onions and onions and onions?
- Don’t throw that celery bottom away–put it into a dish of water and watch a new celery plant grow!
- Planting potatoes is so easy and so fun to harvest–like digging for buried treasure! Be sure and start with seed potatoes from the plant nursery, though.
- A pot on the patio of mixed lettuce is beautiful and resourceful! Just pick a handful of leaves at a time and it will keep growing back. Can you find a lettuce seed on a lettuce leaf? Where are they?
Shop for your seeds, dig in the dirt, sing to your plants (so MANY Kindermusik songs to sing and stories to read!), and find the farmer in YOU! You’ll nurture your mind, body, and soul!
What’s growing at your house?
This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett who was a little too successful and has about 30 extra tomato seedlings that need a home! Seedling swap, anyone?