A Kids Guide to Gardening

Gardening is a fun hobby that you can do anywhere. Growing your own flowers and plants is not only awesome to do, but it also attracts all kinds of creatures like butterflies and birds. Even if you live in the desert, there are lots of cool plants you can grow in your own backyard. As you learn, you'll discover that gardening is a really cool way to learn about nature and the world around us.

How to Start a Garden

Plants need a few basic things to survive: soil, water, and sunlight. When you start your garden, make sure you plant everything in an area where there is good, healthy dirt. You can also try to grow your own flowers in pots outside. This is called container gardening. If you want to grow your own veggies like tomatoes or cucumbers, you will want to learn how to plant a vegetable garden in rows. Floral gardens are a lot of fun and look beautiful during spring and summer. You can even make a butterfly garden that will attract various species of these beautiful insects. Take a look at the region where you live to find out which plants will grow best in your part of the country. Then, buy seeds or small seedlings and plant them in the dirt. Water them regularly and make sure they get enough sunlight so you can watch as your new garden grows.

Planting Techniques

There are a few different ways you can create your garden depending on the type of plants you choose and where you live. For example, if you live in a small apartment or a condo, you can try container gardening. Plant one item per pot and place it on a sunny patio. You can move the pots around as you choose to create a garden that you can change any time you want. Another planting technique is designed especially for vegetable gardens, where you'd simply sprinkle a lot of seeds directly onto the soil. With proper watering and sunshine, you'll end up with an awesome veggie garden in no time.

Other ways you can plant include using hills or rows. With the hill technique, you'll create small little circles around six inches in diameter, making sure they are spaced well apart. This technique is mostly designed for larger plants so they have plenty of room to grow. When you use the rows technique, it's much like a classic veggie garden where every seed is equally spaced apart in neat rows. For wildflowers, you can just scatter the seeds anywhere on the ground. Landscape gardening involves planting flowers and greenery in an organized way near your house to make it look colorful and alive.

How to Maintain Your Garden

To keep your garden healthy and happy, make sure the plants are getting proper water. Pull any weeds you see as they grow to prevent them from choking the plants. Add nutrient-dense plant food to your garden if you are not getting the results you want. Mulch is another great way to not only make your garden look nice, but it also helps to conserve water and keep weeds at bay. During the cold months or the off-season, you can add wraps to trees, and add plant covers to the ground that will help keep them warm. Before you do that, trim everything back with garden shears.

Floral Arrangement Ideas

Enjoy the hard work you put into your garden by creating beautiful floral arrangements. Mix and match different types of flowers and colors to create a beautiful display. Place the flowers in a vase and fill it with water. Cut the stems of your flowers at an angle to ensure they absorb the water as efficiently as possible. A few ideas include tulips, daffodils, and roses. Place them all at different heights and add some baby's breath to create a truly beautiful floral arrangement you can enjoy inside or give as a gift. Mason jars make really cute, inexpensive vases.

Recipe Ideas

If you're growing a veggie garden, there's plenty of possibilities for some delicious recipes. Grow tomatoes and make your own Italian pasta sauce or slice them up and add them to a salad. Cucumbers are another great option to make tasty salads. Grow your own lettuce to really make the salad complete. You can also use the cucumbers for pickling. Fruits are another great addition to any garden and make for delicious desserts and snacks. Herbs like basil and oregano are easy to grow and they're excellent to add to pasta, pizza, and more. The possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with your own homegrown fruits, veggies, and herbs.

Gardening Safety

When you're out in the garden, there are a few things you should do to stay safe. First, be very cautious when using any kind of gardening scissors, prunes, or shears. Only use these sharp tools when an adult is nearby. If you plan to be outside for a long time, wear plenty of sunscreen and a hat to avoid sunburn. Don't bend over for too long at a time or else you could hurt your back and knees. If you're gardening during the time of year when insects are aplenty, make sure you also apply an insect repellant. Give yourself plenty of breaks and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. And most importantly, have fun!

This page has been edited by Chad Kremp