PLOTTING IT OUT
You and your child can section off a corner of a larger garden, build a flower box or dig completely new beds. In any case, a sunny plot of 16 square feet or one even smaller will do just fine. A traditional rectangle is a cinch to dig and will have clearly marked, straight beds that are easy to weed. A border garden works nicely if it is narrow enough for kids to reach to the back without stepping on flowers in the front. A circular design, such as the one we have created, invites a fun border, pie-slice flower beds and a perfect birdbath spot. Designate clear paths through your garden by spreading sweet-smelling cedar chips or lining them with stones. Besides being irresistible to kids, pathways keep eager gardeners from trampling new shoots.Give your child graph paper and a pencil, and have her sketch out her plot, correctly noting its proportions (younger children will need your help). Encourage her to start a garden journal, which can include her blueprint with sketched-in flower locations, pasted-in seed packets, a diary of her flowers' growth, drawings, photographs and even some of the flowers themselves, pressed and dried.
CHOOSING WHAT TO GROW
With blueprint in hand, sit your family down with a pile of seed catalogs and gardening books. Your child is likely to be entranced by rosebushes and splashy perennials, but steer her toward bright, cheerful, easy-to-grow annuals, such as cosmos, marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons. These low-maintenance flowers produce beautiful blossoms until summer's end, so they are more likely to give your child sustained satisfaction.Discuss with your family each flower's compatibility with your climate and soil. Then talk about the amount of water, sunshine and fertilizer you will be able to offer your flowers. In a small garden notebook, let your child write down each flower's height, color and width. Annuals are adaptable, so don't be frightened by long lists of requirements on seed packets, but do keep your region's climate in mind. COLOR WITH ANNUALS (Ortho Books, $8.95) has detailed advice on growing annuals and planting information for more than 100 flowers. Ask your gardening center if there are any other special instructions for your area.
Whether you start plants from seeds or seedlings depends on your budget, your kids' ages and your patience. If you and your child decide to plant seeds outside, choose those that germinate easily (most everlastings, for instance, do not) and be forewarned that seedlings look a lot like weeds to young gardeners. Starting with seedlings and plants is more expensive, but might be the better way to go: You buy the plants at the store, dig a hole, put them in the ground, and--presto!--you have a flower garden. This will also make weeding easier. Furthermore, you often can see exactly what the color scheme will look like as you lay out your garden.
PLANTING THE GARDEN
Preparing the soil for a garden this size is not a big endeavor, but it is mainly a grown-up job. If you are an experienced gardener, prepare the soil in the same way you would for vegetables. However, remember that annuals grow easily and can even prefer hard conditions.Either rototill or dig the appropriate plot--about 4 feet by 4 feet--and add a good dose of composted manure, humus or topsoil to the surface. Plant the seeds according to package directions or the seedlings according to the instructions they come with. Remember that plants need sufficient space to grow. Show your children how to dig a hole about the size of the root of each plant and place the plant in the hole, gently packing more soil around it. Once everything is planted, give the plot a good watering, then keep watering regularly if you don't have enough rain.
If you're a novice gardener, too, there is no end of excellent references available. Good books for kids include LET'S GROW! by Linda Tilgner (Garden Way, $10.95) and KIDS GARDENING by Kevin Raftery and Kim Gilbert Raftery (Klutz Press, $12.95).
TENDING YOUR GARDEN
To help your child develop a sense of responsibility for her garden, give her poster board and markers, and help her draft a colorful garden-chore chart. Make a grid of weekly tasks to be checked off and have a supply of flower stickers to add to the chart for each task completed.Simple kid chores include watering, weeding, flicking flower-eating bugs into a can, mulching, decorating signs for beds, cutting flowers, removing spent blossoms and, of course, giving garden tours to friends and neighbors. A gift of kid-size garden gloves or tools, available through garden shops and catalogs, is a joyful way to make the following round of jobs more inviting.
MULCHING
After your seeds sprout, a layer of mulch (hay, wood chips, leaves, grass clippings or other material) helps prevent weed growth.WEEDING
When your child first learns to weed, teach her to differentiate weeds from flower plants (often a difficult task). The job is much easier if you've planted seedlings. Then you and your child can compare the leaves of the plant with the much-different leaves of the weeds. Dig the weed up and let your children notice the roots growing at the botom of the plant. Point out that the roots need to be pulled up or the weeds will grow back.WATERING
During dry spells, water the garden with a hose, sprinkler or can, being sure to moisten the soil thoroughly--to the point where it puddles--so the plants' roots can drink their fill. Try to concentrate on watering the dirt, not the petals and leaves. This chore is best done in the cool evening.CUTTING
Regularly cutting flowers and removing spent blossoms is healthy for plants--and in many cases, makes them bloom more profusely. The best time to cut flowers is in the evening, after sugar has been stored in the plant tissue all day. Clip stems with a sharp knife or a good pair of clippers, and always cut on a slant. Cut flowers last longest if kept in cool water in a cool room.Rani M. Arbo is a frequent contributor toFAMILYFUN.
