How to Build a Kids' Garden

Learn how to build a simple garden for the kids! This can be done in any part of your yard and only takes a few hours of work and minimal investment.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• -Shovel
• -Rake
• -Rocks/Edging
• -Topsoil
• -Soil Additives/Fertilizer if necessary
• -Seeds

Preparing a Small Garden Spot

1. Choose an area of your lawn or land that is small, relatively flat and preferably not overgrown with other plants. An area roughly 6 ft x 6 ft, close to your home and in maximum sunlight, will do fine.

2. Clear the top layer of growth in your chosen spot. If you're working in a space that's grassy, simply scrape the top layer of soil off of the ground with the shovel, held flat for use (like a spatula). If the area is in a wooded or overgrown location, you may want to weedeat the area first, then use a tiller to break up the larger roots underground and turn the soil over. When the growth has been cleared from the area, drag the rake over it, pulling up what you can and loosening leftover clumps of grass and weeds.

3. Pull up weeds or grass clumps. The kids can help you pull up any leftover weeds, grass clumps or roots. Another good chore for kids, since they can get tired of pulling weeds pretty quickly, is to have them pick up rocks and sticks that are left in the garden. When the area is mostly clean, use the rake again to loosen the top 2" of soil. Depending on what type of soil you have, this is the time to add soil additives if necessary. If your soil is clay, work in some gypsum. It's available at all large nurseries. Spread it over the loosened soil and then rake again to work it in. Additional additives like peat moss to lighten heavy soils and mushroom compost to beef up light soils and provide natural fertilizers can be worked in with this method also.

4. Add soil to the cleared area. Depending on the size of your garden, you'll need between 5-8 bags of topsoil. Empty the bags at intervals in the garden and let the kids help you spread the dirt out flat over the loosened soil. Since kids' gardens can be neglected by their young owners sometimes, it's probably a good idea to build in some help with a fertilizer. Since kids will be playing in the dirt, remember to use only natural or organic fertilizers and pesticides to avoid accidental ingestion of chemcials. A good natural fertilizer contains blood meal, bone meal and/or other nutrients, and they're easy to find. Even Miracle-Gro offers an all-natural organic fertilizer. You can add these fertilizers at this step, usually by spreading out evenly over the garden and then working the fertilizer in to the topsoil.

5. Ring the edge of the garden with rocks, concrete or wooden edging, or "found" things from the kids. You can even use some concrete forms to let the kids make their own! This helps keep weeds and grass out of the garden and makes it a lot easier on the kids when weeding time rolls around.

Letting the Kids Garden

6. Plan your design. When the garden is prepared, let the kids help you design the layout of their garden. Depending on how many children you have, you may want to make simple rows, or you may want to shape the rows into letters or designs. Remember while designing that you'll need to leave a walkway through the middle of the garden and probably along the back row too. If the garden isn't surrounded by grass, make sure they have enough room to get in and out to weed and pick their vegetables. Raised rows seem to work best for children's gardens, as they hold water and provide an easy way for children to differentiate between places where they can and can't step.

7. Choose seeds that are appropriate for children to grow which don't require trellises or lots of space to spread. Easy-growing flowers are good for these gardens, like nasturtiums, sunflowers, dahlias, calendula and borage. Vegetables that grow easily and don't require lots of care or space can include bush beans, carrots, radishes, onions, greens, tomatoes, and peppers. Corn is fun, but takes lots of space and care. Pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and other vines often require lots of space to grow as well. If the kids are set on pumpkins, and you've got grass on at least one side of the garden, you can plant the pumpkins about 6 inches inside the garden border and train the vines to run onto the grass outside of the garden.

8. Mulching is helpful. You may want to mulch the walkways after you've planted everything so the kids know where they can walk and to help keep weeds from taking over. Mulch also helps hold in moisture. You can use store bought mulch or bagged or raked grass clippings from your yard.

9. Let them make it their own! Lots of other kid-friendly projects can go along with your garden. Let them build and paint signs and plant identification stakes, pick out rocks, shells or figurines for decoration, make scarecrows, pick bouquets for family members, and do photo projects tracking the growth of their garden. And of course, let them help pick, wash and cook their produce!

Tips & Warnings

• If using blood meal or bone meal as a fertilizer, be careful if you have pets. Dogs love to dig in the new garden looking for that hidden snack!
• As always, be careful when using garden tools with children. If possible, provide them with child-sized, safe digging tools.
• Be watchful of the seeds you plant. Some flower seeds can be harmful if eaten - watch children closely while planting, or choose only safe varieties. Likewise, many flowering plants, including some herbs, can be poisonous if eaten. It's wise not to plant those anywhere near the kids' garden, as they'll want to eat everything in it! Nasturtiums, calendula, borage, and sunflowers are all edible and safe.

[SensitivePlant]

on 9/3/2008 You might also consider adding a TickleMe Plant to your kids garden. This is the plant that MOVES when you Tickle It! They can also be grown indoors year round. I got my supplies at www.TickleMePlant.com See the video!