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Summer is right around the corner. It is time to get out of your cozy beds and warm blankets and take up some fun and exciting outdoor activities.
Talking about outdoor activities, how can we forget gardening? Not only is this fun, but also teaches life skills to kids in an engaging manner.
Planning a garden isn’t easy. Setting one up for kids takes it to the next level. You need to act on and implement their suggestions while making sure that quality is not compromised.
If you are one such confused parent, looking forward to setting up a garden for your kids but have no idea where and how to start, you have landed on the right page. Here we have listed, some general tips and tricks for planning a decent garden for your children keeping their creativity in mind.
Utilize the Space Creatively
Planning a garden for the kids can be comfortable as well as robust. After all, you need to be creative as well as practical at the same time. One of the most important tips to note while planning a summer garden for kids is to utilize the space creatively. It should appeal to the child at a fundamental level and must teach them how to organize stuff in an excellent way.
An even better idea is to set up a mini garden with a small lawn so that you do not have to put any extra maintenance efforts for the grass later. Make use of rocks and pebbles to decorate the space rather than taking the traditional route.
Involve the Kids at Each Step
Gone are the days when you could offer just about anything to kids. Kids these days, are super smart and have an opinion of their own about almost everything.
It is essential that you consult the kids before planning a garden for them. Consider their ideas and try implementing them as far as is feasible. This will inspire the kids to take gardening seriously and come up with something of their own.
Get Some Kid-Friendly Equipment
A primary requirement for gardening is to have quality pieces of gardening equipment. However, the game gets a bit tricky when you are doing it for kids. Kids cannot handle just any garden tool.
Let them work with toy pieces of equipment first rather than directly handing huge ones over. Also, let them observe you carefully when you work with litter spreaders, or lime and fertilizer spreaders. This will give them a fair idea regarding what’s in store for them, and give them an original flavor of gardening.
Choose the Plants Wisely
Make sure your kids have a say in what is going to be planted where. Take them along to the nursery and let them choose the plants themselves.
Do some research before throwing the saplings into the soil. Various plants need a different kind of atmosphere for growth. A cactus can grow well in ample sunlight while some shrubs need shade. Educate your kids regarding this and utilize the space well.
Get Them Interested
In case your children are not naturally inclined towards gardening and other such activities, you can work on it and nurture their interest towards it. Invite their friends over for lunch and show them how gardening is fun. Inspire them to work in a team and set up a garden of their own.
Some Behind-the-Scenes Assistance
At the end of the day, kids will be kids. It will take them time, effort and dedication to become perfect at tending a garden. Till then, it is your duty as a parent to guide them at each step and provide them some behind-the-scenes help.
You don’t need to do it all for them though, just a little bit of help here and there would help. While they are sleeping or at their friend’s place, you can go and check on the plants for a while.
Stick to the Budget
Whether you are getting a home constructed or planning a garden for kids, it is vital to have a fixed budget. This will keep you from spending unnecessarily on stuff that doesn’t really matter. Also, you should make it a point to teach your children the importance of money management through this.
Decide precisely how much of the funds you are going to allocate to the garden. Invest in every item required in a proper proportion rather than falling short of funds later. Even if you have a modest budget, you can still gift your child a fantastic garden, remember that!
Set up Some Guide Books and Reminder Tables
Gardening demands dedication. You need to devote time to it daily, not only when you are in the mood for it on the weekends. Setting up a reminder table will help you make sure that your garden is not losing out on anything. Also, it will instill a sense of discipline among the children and keep them dedicated.
In addition to that, you can set up a guide book of your own or buy one from the market for your children. You can prepare a complete chart assigning various individual flower beds to children so that they can work on their own plants independently without any interference. Watching their own plants blossom will fill them with a sense of pride and joy.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying the fact that winters are beautiful. However, lush, colorful, and bountiful summers have an aura of their own that nothing can beat. Gardens can be a sanctuary from stress and anxiety.
A garden in the backyard is literally one of the best things ever. Add to it, the quality family time that you can spend there and cool evenings under the moonlight, what else would one want?
Take advantage of favorable spring climate and pull your summer socks up. Gather all the necessary equipment be it toy pieces or large ones like litter spreaders or lime and fertilizer spreaders, and get started. All the best!
Thomas M. Strother is a blogger at spreaders.com which specialize in making spreaders and dump trucks from last 24 years. They provide quality products in agricultural areas like lime and fertilizer spreader, construction and other needs from tailgate salt spreader to litter spreader. They make sure that customer requirements are full filled.