GARDENING WITH THE SPROUTS

This is a great time of the year to start planning summertime fun, and what better place to spend time with kids this summer than in the garden. Children seem to universally love to be outside preparing the soil, planting, watching (and eating) the things they have put in the ground.

There are three things to remember when you are gardening with children:

« Make it fun.

« Be realistic with your child's age, desire, and abilities.

« Make it fun.

Here are a few areas to think about trying:

GROWING FOOD

« Children are much more likely to eat new (and healthy) foods if they have participated in growing and/or cooking it themselves. If you have room in your garden area, give your child a 4x4 foot area of their very own to plant and care for.

« The work of growing food teaches a whole new appreciation for how our food arrives at our table and the role of weather in our lives.

« Growing (planting, feeding, watering, weeding, harvesting) nurtures an interest in science and respect for the balance of resources that needs to exist in order to be successful, such as water, insects and chemicals.

« Kids (and their parents) all need exercise, what better way to do that than as a team?

« Cooking is an excellent way to reinforce math and reading skills over the summer. Cooking food that is home grown rewards hard work and builds self-esteem.

When growing anything from seeds with children, pick some things that come up quickly to keep their interest. Some plants that do this are radishes, lettuce, beans, etc. Check the back of the seed packet for the germination time, the quicker the better.

It is also suggested that you plant at least a few "winners," things you know your kids like to eat already. Try growing things "up." Trellises in an "A" frame shape for planting cucumbers, beans or sunflowers on the outside, will eventually turn into a "house." The shaded area underneath can make a fun playhouse or a place to plant things that need a cooler spot, such as leafy vegetables.

Birds and butterflies:

Try planting varieties of flowers and shrubs in your yard that will attract butterflies.

Any brightly colored flower will attract not only butterflies but also those with tubular flowers, such as penstemons, will attract hummingbirds in the spring and fall.

Provide a water source for birds, such as a birdbath or pond. A flat saucer with water in it will sometimes aid in attracting butterflies.

Because of mosquito problems, make sure to change the birdbath water every other day to deter breeding.

Shrubs or trees for shelter are important in attracting birds to your backyard, as they provide an avenue of escape. Feeding with birdseed also will help attract birds to your area and increase the variety that you see.

Fun projects with kids might be building birdhouses, feeders, nesting boxes or bat houses together. There are lots of resources for you at local bird feeding centers or home-building centers.

Composting:

What better way to teach recycling and science than to compost with vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and other organic materials. Many people turn their noses up, literally, at the idea of composting. However, if you are doing things right, completed compost does not smell like anything other than rich, fertile soil. Visit the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Web site at www.coopext.colostate.edu and download the fact sheet 7.743 for easy compost instructions, and get going. Don't forget about worm composting, talk about fun with kids!

Other child-friendly gardening ideas:

Create and decorate birdbaths. Some ideas:

« Invert and stack three terra-cotta pots of graduating sizes (the biggest on the bottom), sponge paint and apply polyurethane. Add a saucer to the top, and fill with water.

« Make trellises together for things like beans, vines and roses.

« Decorate containers for flowers and other plants.

« Build a scarecrow or find unusual containers to plant in, such as a claw foot tub.

« Take trips to the Denver Botanic Gardens or area garden centers to explore.

Jayne Stevens is a seven-year master gardener and is the school nurse for the Eaton School District. She has a husband and two children and lives in Eaton. She loves to share her gardening with the neighborhood children.