Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Comment on Slate Kid Gardening Article

Slate Article: Kinder-gardening
My three-year old and I are enjoying his second season of gardening—his first started when he was just over a year, we moved in the middle of season last year. (Having relocated to the south, we have really started gardening already this year. We have pea plants and lettuce seedlings.) We are both really enjoying the endeavor. Here are three things that make us happy gardeners.
  1. Elephant watering can from Target.* We fill this up from my watering can and he waters each plant. It doesn't hold very much water, so even if the whole thing goes onto one plant, there is no harm done. And, since it come out in a fairly strong stream pointed far away from the little body, there is very little accidental self watering.
  2. Seeds from Territorial seed company. This is my third year using their seeds and every year I am astounded at how many of them actually turn into happy healthy plants. It seems like nearly every seed sprouts. (Maybe this is not as miraculous as it seems to me, but I have not had good luck with other seeds.) Note: I do not start any seeds in doors. If I can't direct sow them, then I buy healthy plants from a nursery.
  3. Square foot garden. Mel Bartholomew claims all sorts of great things about this gardening method. So far, I can say that the definite boundaries of the garden are important for my three-year old. We haven't had a weed yet. And empty squares have been a great way to re-direct my three-year old's need to dig. By the time all of our squares are planted, there will be things (sugar snap peas and lettuce) ready to harvest and then replant.
*I can't find the elephant watering can online at Target. Perhaps it is a regional offering. It looks like the picture below and I found it on a whole aisle of cutesy kid gardening stuff located just next to the grown up gardening stuff in the seasonal section of our store.

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