summer camp guide - Orlando Family Magazine

In addition to the food and flowers that plants produce, there canalso be a few unexpected benefits. Imagine the fun of planting an entiregarden just to attract butterflies, or the cool factor of watching a giantsunflower bloom. Try experimenting with fragrance by planting thingslike gardenias and jasmine. One expert recommends planting flowersthat bloom at night for a fun after-dark family adventure. Create your owntheme, discover the unique attributes of each plant, and explore unlimited possibilitiesof the world of plants beyond simply flowers and food.As every parent knows, the real challenge is to keep the kids involved on a daily basis intheir personal garden’s care and maintenance. The last thing a busy mom and dad need isanother thing to take care of, so teaching your young gardener to tend his/her garden regularlyis an important part of the process. That being said, gardening need not be a chore. Be mindfulof your children’s limitations. Work side-by-side, and let them get some dirt under their nails.Garden Rebel Sims says he tapped his kids’ curiosity when it came to getting down and dirty.“We always referred to the trees in our yard as ‘our trees’. We would take the kids with us topick fruit and it always sparked questions about things like bugs and leaves. The more weincluded them, the more they wanted to learn.”“As a mom, there is a sense of fulfillment when passing along a love of the outdoors andgardening,” says Tuitt, who describes what it means to share a love of gardening with herdaughter. “This experience has established a special bond between us. I hope she will pass thisalong to her own children someday.”There is no guarantee that your children will turn off their gaming devices and develop alifelong wonder for growing things. However, you just might create some really good memoriesand generate a lasting awareness of the food we eat and the plants that delight our senses.For more information about growing a garden with your kids, the National GardeningAssociation has developed a terrific website, www.kidsgardening.org, loaded with ideas and tipsto get you started. Also, check out the Garden Rebel’s site, www.gardenrebel.com, for a list ofplants that do well in our area.13