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tagsForgive my small rant.
Why is it that seeds and pots designed for children are so geared toward failure?
The pots never have holes in the bottom.
They come with "peat pellets" that you expand in water.
And the seeds are so minuscule that not only can you not scatter them properly (even if you are a so-called "grown-up") but you can't see where they landed.
Inevitably, little pops up and then the child (in this case, my daughter) feels like a failure.
I'd love to have some sunny, fun, blooming plants in our kitchen window that she could tend.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
And should I start with seeds, or a starter plant?
Responses
Personally, I think you can make your own experience for the kids, and just focus on one task at a time.
Why do they use the pellets? So the kid doesn't have to think about soil. So, instead, just mix up your own potting mix before inviting the child to the table.
I think growing something from seed is still good. Starting with a plant has less of a "wow" experience, and it's more like keeping a pet alive (or not, depending on how it goes). With a seed, your child is giving life to a new entity.
The coleus has been fun, germinated well, but they are super-tiny seeds, too.
Maybe sunflower? I know this really nice website that's giving out sunflower seeds...
I agree most of the stuff packaged for kids is crap - whether it's gardening kits or breakfast cereal. I think Bob is right, make your own experience.
The watermelon plant is in my garden now. Renny is very interested in it and tends to it regularly. But what has been the most successful approach with the kids so far has been to just apportion some of what I'm already doing to them.
So, some of the plants I started as seeds early this spring became property of the kids when we put them in the garden. Of course, the way that works is that I tend the plants 99.5% of the time, and the 0.5% of the time the kids spent there with me becomes the focus. It kind of goes like this:
Me: Hey you guys, I'm going to plant some of those seeds, check out what I'm doing!
R/C: Ok (loses interest in 5-10 mins)
-- 6 weeks later --
Me: Hey you guys, remember those tomatoes we started that are growing in the basement, let's plant them this weekend!
R/C: Ok, sure.
-- The weekend --
Me: (digs bed, applies fertilizer, brings starts to garden, gathers tools, then...) Hey, you guys want to plant those tomatoes you are growing?
R/C: Sure!
Me: Cool! (digs hole and instructs kids on planting)
-- Subsequently --
Me: (water, weed, fertilize, mulch, prune and tend tomatoes)
R/C: (watch me from afar while playing on swingset)
-- 2 months later --
Me: Mmmmm - these are awesome tomatoes you guys grew. Thanks!