Photos by Lisa Pederson
I have flowers all around my house and my walkway, they bloom from early spring to fall. My toddlers and preschoolers love nothing more than picking those flowers for mom as a token of their love! Picking the flowers daily doesn't not help my landscaping to remain beautiful, however. Introducing your children in the toddler years to gardening can create a lifetime love of plants and help you keep your sanity, and garden, in tact.
If you are an avid gardener you may want to get a set of toddler sized gardening tools and dig right in to give your toddler their very own small garden. Just a couple of plants to care for are enough to keep a toddler's attention without overwhelming them. A rule of thumb is to make the garden no larger than the reach of the child's arm.
Fast growing plants like sunflowers and lettuce can bring about quick satisfaction for an excited child. Planting from a seed brings great teaching moments. A well thought out sunflower layout can produce a nice hiding spot for your curious toddler, and tasty snacks at the end of the season.
One benefit that I found to having my young children help grow a garden is that they are much more willing to taste food that they helped to plant, grow and pick. Plant foods that your toddler likes, as well as food that you would like your child to try. Squash is a food that grows quickly and continues to produce, so your child will enjoy checking for new vegetables to pick and cook up for supper.
Planting flowers that are colorful and have strong smells are great for toddlers to explore. They can learn their colors and count butterflies. We plant an area in the back of our house that the children can pick from without worries. No matter what you plant, it will be a good experience for your toddler to get down into the dirt with you and watch a season of growing.
If you cannot plant a garden you can still give your child the experience with a toddler terrarium, window planters, or a trip to the Como Conservatory.
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