There is more to children’s gardening than their making mud pies and collecting bunches of your prized specimens to decorate a dollies’ tea table. If you get your offspring involved in growing their own plants, the chances are they will choose the garden over the computer or television; who knows, they may even start helping their parents.

Younger children love this “helping out”, and it is easy to involve them in the garden while getting on with your own tasks, especially if they have a set of mini-tools for weeding, digging and raking. Keep a close eye on them, though, and be prepared to bite your tongue when they tramp all over a bed of seedlings – at least they are showing enthusiasm. The older ones may be more reluctant to participate, but can often be enticed out with the promise of their own plot and the licence to grow whatever they want.

It’s not only in our back gardens that this mini-gardening revolution is happening – this year’s Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Flower Show, in July, will be bursting with gardens designed for and by children. And in the cold and sleet of a recent weekend, my offspring and I were up at our local primary school in Oxford-shire, marking out a new vegetable plot in the walled garden the school is so lucky to have.

Increasing numbers of school gardens are being created each year, according to the RHS, which launched a National Campaign for School Gardening last September. Since then, more than 3,000 schools have registered for the scheme, which gives access to a website support system, as well as a starter pack with seeds, soil-testing kit, posters and plant labels, followed by further incentives as the project reaches different levels.

It’s hard to imagine at this stage of the year that, by June, our school plot will be full of vegetables and flowers, sown and tended by the children in their new after-school gardening club. The transformation of a bare patch of land is entirely achievable in such a short space of time, however – and, as well as being great fun, it is educational for the kids, who will be learning about the seasons and a plant’s life cycle, about wildlife, the soil and, most important, where their food comes from.

Whether at home or at school, to encourage your children to get digging, choose straightforward projects that can be achieved fast and with minimum effort. To retain their interest, give them only the easiest and speediest plants to grow – brightly coloured annuals such as poppies or nasturtiums, and vegetables that are relatively pest-free and quick to mature.

EASY PLANTS TO GROW

Annual flowers: sunflowers are popular because they grow to impressive heights (‘Russian Giant’ can reach 10ft). Sow seeds directly into the ground in an open, sunny spot from now until early summer. The emerging plants need little aftercare, other than protection from birds or rabbits. Other popular annuals for children include nasturtiums, marigolds and poppies (the common field poppy, Papaver rhoeas, and its cultivars). These are all brightly coloured and attractive, not only to us, but to butterflies and bees. They will grow pretty much anywhere they are scattered. Sow now by broadcasting seed and gently raking it in.

Pumpkins: the best vegetable for children, as they produce big, brightly coloured fruits that can be used at Hallowe’en. A fail-safe method is to place the seeds between two or three layers of damp kitchen towel and fold over. Put the parcel in a plastic container and leave in the airing cupboard. The children can check every few days to see whether the seeds have sprouted. As soon as they have done so, plant them in small pots and put them on a windowsill to grow. Gradually harden off the seedlings by leaving them outside during the day to acclimatise, bringing them in at night. Plant them out when all danger of frost has passed. Water the plants liberally throughout the summer and, once a week, give them liquid tomato feed or homemade comfrey tea (made by steeping comfrey leaves in water – a stinky but effective tonic). As the pumpkins get bigger, get your children to choose one each and carve their initials into the skin. You could then have a competition to see whose pumpkin grows the biggest.

Potatoes: one of life’s great pleasures is the excitement of digging up potatoes – it’s like a lucky dip. Plant them now into a compost-rich soil, in trenches 4in deep, leaving 1ft between each plant. Cover with earth and continue to “earth up” as the plants get bigger (this means adding further soil around the stems to prevent tubers forming near the surface turning green and poisonous). Give them a good soaking every two weeks if the weather is dry, then harvest after the plant has flowered and is dying back.

Climbing french beans: the Jack and the Beanstalk associations make these a fun vegetable for children to try, and the seeds are large and tactile. Grow the plants up a tepee of bamboo poles to make a “tent”. French beans are quite tender, and shouldn’t be planted outside until the end of the month or early May – after the last frosts. Sow indoors or under glass now, or directly into the soil from the start of next month onwards. If sowing outside, erect a bamboo support and place the seeds 6in apart, directly below each cane. Water the plants liberally when the flowers are forming.

Strawberries: most children love eating fresh strawberries, and if you buy young plants now, they will fruit this season. Try growing them in pots in good multipurpose compost, positioning the pots in a sheltered, sunny spot. Strawberries hate being waterlogged, so make sure there is plenty of grit in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage, and raise the pot slightly off the ground. Don’t let the compost dry out in summer, however. After harvesting, use the runners – the shoots they put out – to make new plants. This can be done easily and quickly by pegging down new runners in fresh compost in another pot, where they will take root.

Tomatoes: bush tomatoes, such as ‘Red Alert’, are ideal for growing with children. They are easier than the cordon types because they need no staking or tying in. Tomatoes can be raised in pots on a patio, or in a greenhouse, but make sure you buy the appropriate variety, as some of the indoor ones won’t do well outside. For outdoor tomatoes, sow seed indoors into 5in pots now. Indoor ones should have been put in earlier, but you could always cheat and buy young plants. Scatter the seeds thinly on the surface of damp compost and add a further ½in layer. Cover with clingfilm to conserve moisture and put the pots on a warm windowsill. Once the seeds have germinated, harden them off gradually before planting outside in a sheltered spot after the frosts, either into bigger pots or straight into the ground. When ripened, the bright-red, shiny tomatoes are magnets for little hands, and irresistibly sweet and tasty.

Keep out of the reach of children

There are many commonly grown plants that can be mildly toxic if ingested, including hellebore, box, daffodil, lupin and aquilegia, so you must be vigilant at all times if you have young children. Other plants, such as euphorbias, contain skin irritants in their sap and leaves, which can cause blistering and itchiness. The following are extremely toxic and should be avoided in gardens used by children.

Monkshood (aconitum): all parts are toxic
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna): all parts are toxic, including the black berries
Colchicum: all parts are toxic
Angel’s trumpets (datura):all parts are toxic
Foxglove (digitalis): all parts are toxic
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum): all parts are toxic, and the sap can damage skin severely
Morning-glory (ipomoea):the seeds are toxic
Laburnum: all parts are toxic
Tobacco plant (nicotiana): all parts are toxic
Castor-oil plant (Ricinis communis): the seeds are especially toxic
Yew (taxus): all parts are toxic, including the berries

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