Get your children to love gardening and the great outdoors
May
13
Written by:
13/05/2014 08:42
I have three daughters, I’m an experienced gardener a freelance writer and partway through a degree.
Gardening is becoming a lost art, lost somewhere in the increased use of televisions, computers and the dreaded mobile phones.
I grow all my own fruit and vegetables, I make jams, sauces and chutneys, I make my own bread, my own cleaning products and always have a good stock of home grown vegetables to take me over the winter months.
I’m asked how I find the time to be self-sufficient and be a mum. I agree it’s much easier to grab a bag of frozen veg on your way home from work to chuck in the microwave. Trust me though when you taste something straight from the ground I can guarantee that from that moment on you will happily bypass the freezer section.
I have heard various statements, ‘my kids would get bored at an allotment. They hate gardening”. Well the simple answer is “GET THEM INVOLVED”. It’s not as difficult as you may think either.
Years ago families worked as a team to get the chores done and whilst I’m not saying to start shoving your kids chimneys, a little bit of helping out around the home and garden doesn’t do them any harm, in fact they will enjoy it (even though my 10 year old would never admit it).
My kids often spend a day down the plot without a screen in sight and have a fantastic time!
Now the money argument, “I can’t afford to get my garden how I want it”. If you pop along to the local Garden Centre you will see all manner of different types of equipment that the store says you simply must have but in actual fact you don’t need a lot of it and the items you do need you can pick up from car boots, friends and family, or make yourself. I have cobbled together all sorts of things out of bits of wood, screws, old net or wire and even bits of cardboard.
When we moved into our new house 18 months ago my husband said we wouldn’t be able to afford to get the garden done for a few years however I couldn’t possibly live with 6 foot high weeds and the plumbing equipment the previous owners had left behind so I set myself a challenge last year to get my garden up together for free. There is still work to be done but I have borders, a greenhouse, raised beds, trees, bees and chickens. All of which has cost me NOTHING!
So I am now here to give you tips and tricks to build and grow a child-friendly thrifty self-sufficient garden – Enjoy!
Click here to read Louisa’s Top Tips on how to get your children to love gardening and the great outdoors.