New Forest Living Mar - Apr 2020

Children: getting them
interested in gardening
Here our resident gardener and radio personality, Matt Biggs
aka The People’s Gardener, explains the benefits of getting
children involved in the garden and how it provides them with
skills to help their development.
You and your children will enjoy every stage of the process. We
hear a lot about children not knowing where their food comes from
and, of course, if we don’t give them the info then, with all of the
distractions of modern living, it is not surprising if they think a chip
comes from the freezer aisle and kohlrabi is a character in the latest
Star Wars film!
Gardening for kids is just such a great thing - exercise, knowledge,
fun and hopefully an interest that will last them a lifetime, what more
do we need? Many garden centres offer kids activity days, whether
that is pumpkin carving, seed sowing or making animals out of fruit
and veg. there is a lot you can get them involved with and much of it
is free too. Many garden centres have clubs for children, and this is
a good option if you have one near to you. It is good for socialising
and excellent for learning the basics and having fun.
If you have a garden marking them out their own space is an easy
thing to do. It gives them a sense of responsibility and you can
make a bug hotel out of recycled bits and bobs, plan to grow some
herbs or mini veg, write down their favourite colours and hunt
through plant catalogues or online for suitable plants to match.
There are lots of skills involved in all of these activities, from maths
- how many plants do we need for the space, to practical skills
in making things, to research and planning skills - so one small
space can lead to a lot of learning! If you have a local country
show or fayre there will probably be a few children’s classes in that
too - making a miniature garden or a dinosaur from fruit and veg.
whatever it is take advantage of it - country
shows are a great day out!
So, having got the kids organised it is time
to do our own planning for summer, whether
you have a window box, a court-yard or
acres of space there is summer colour for
every option. If you are fortunate enough to
have a greenhouse then you can start early and bring on your own
plants, you can share with neighbours or garden clubs which is a
very economical way of gardening or you can visit your local nursery
or garden centre to see what choices are available - and there is a
lot of choice.
Every year Chelsea highlights a new favourite plant or colour
scheme, gardening magazines and books have so many ideas
- one of the most pleasurable jobs in the year is planning your
garden - and then - best bit of all, enjoying the fruits of your labour!
To discover more about Matt and his books please
visit www.mattbiggs.com
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