any children find gardening an interesting and enjoyable activity and are keen to try their hand at it. With a little help and advice parents can encourage even little children to start their own small garden and watch as plants grow in it. Parents can begin by setting aside a small section of the garden and letting the children explore and experiment in it. It might be a good idea to give the children their own small-scale tools. 

One may let the children choose what to grow. Particularly suitable and easy for small hands to sew are plants with large seeds such as sunflowers [see picture on the right], beans, and nasturtiums, or plants which children recognize – potatoes, tomatoes, peppers. Another category of plants that may be interesting for little gardeners to grow is that of culinary herbs because they have interesting scents. Chives, sage, mint, and basil fall into this category. 

Parents should be cautious and avoid toxic plants around children’s gardens.

Castor bean and rosary pea are extremely toxic. Other plants are beautiful but toxic in large quantities. Among them are angel’s trumpet, foxglove [pictured on the left], delphinium, and morning glory.

Ponds in gardens can be dangerous for little children so their piece of garden shouldn’t be close to the pond or they should not be left unattended.
 
 
 

Let the child imitate you and share your garden experiences but remember that gardening for the child is fun, not work.