Real Estate: Make Gardening a Family Affair!

Gardening can be an enjoyable family affair. Sharing your garden with your children by allowing each child to choose what they would like to see grow (eg. their favourite vegetable like carrots or perhaps a pumpkin for Halloween) is a great way to learn how a little extra watering and weeding can make these seeds grow into something to be watched with wonder.

It is natural for children to wish to see a few of the smaller carrots before they are full grown. It is how they learn about the growing process. Seed packets are available at most gardening locations and larger grocery stores once we get closer to the season.

It is also fun to start the seeds in a glass jar inside and watch the daily journey of first sprouting and then climbing upwards out of the jar.

Do you have favourite herbs and vegetables that you have always wanted to try growing? Now is the time to start planning what you would like to grow and to learn how to do it. Your local library offers lots of landscaping books and magazines as do your bookstores. There are also lots of websites which in the near future will be offering gardening and planning tips.

Did you know that some plants can be planted side by side and will do just fine and others will be strangled by the growth? Find out what will work better in your garden. Depending on which way your garden faces, will determine how much sun you will get and at what time of day. This will make a difference in what and where you plant in certain areas of your gardens. Themed gardens are just one of the ways to be more creative. From herb, pizza, salsa to fabulous floral displays.

I have always wanted to grow roses. My current home is the first one I’ve had with the right backyard sun and protection along a fence. What a treat it was for me last year to see beautiful yellow roses growing up my fence and the smell was amazing! On a few occasions, I cut a few off and put them into a vase on a table inside. The rest of the season I was quite happy just to see them on the fence. This particular type of rose lasted right up until the first frost.

Do your grandparents live nearby or perhaps a neighbour who is no longer able to do their own gardening? Invite them to be a part of your new family tradition. My parents always had a large garden. My mother who lives nearby is no longer able to have a garden of her own. I bought her a few large planters for her balcony and she loved picking out the flowers to put into them and seeing them bloom throughout their season.

Everyone can pitch in to do a part of the work. Everyone can celebrate with whatever is grown.

Barbara Kennedy
Changing Gears Inc.

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