Gardening with Kids

Two weeks ago, I visited community gardens in Oakland. It’s quite fascinating to find gardens amidst the urban landscape filled with picture perfect kale and red leaf lettuce. We were able to visit both a vegetable and fruit tree garden through Bay Friendly tours.

A couple of months ago, we’ve noticed that Kai has a bit of a phobia towards flowers and grass. He touches them, shakes his head, and backs away. Then we figured out it’s probably because he’s not exposed to nature enough. Sure we take him to parks but it’s not like he’s playing in the grass outback.

We’re thinking of sharing a garden plot with friends. It might be a great way for our kids to learn to appreciate plant and vegetable life. For urbanites, having a backyard is rare. We manage to grow succulents, dwarf trees, herbs, and a couple of vegetable vines but it’s limited to a balcony overlooking the lake. So there’s no room for Kai to roll around in the grass or plant a vegetable plot.

If you’re hoping to garden this season with the kids, here are some resources:

Books:

The Children’s Kitchen Garden


The Garden Book


Ideas:

Kids Gardening


Connect:
Community Gardens