I don’t have a green thumb but I do love fresh vegetables so I decided to give gardening a try last year. The kids and I trotted off to the local Home Depot and picked up dozens of seed packets and a few already-grown tomato plants to get us started.

If you’ve ever considered a vegetable garden, Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off day. The weather is warm enough for seedlings to survive and thrive with some minor help from you.

Fortunately, kids and gardens go hand in hand: 1) All kids love to play in dirt; 2)They love things that transform (seed to plant) and 3) They love to pick things.

Here’s how you can get started:

Find a sunny spot in your yard or doorstep. You can either plant in pots or a small raised garden bed.

Let your children help decide what vegetables to grow.  If they suggest corn stalks try to steer them instead towards things they can pick and eat right off the vine such as green beans and cherry tomatoes. Also, they may love to plant pumpkin seeds. They take create some cool vines and will produce some pumpkins in time for Halloween.

Plant the seeds together. Just follow instructions on the seed packets. It’s that simple! They wrote  the names of each vegetable on Popsicle sticks so we can identify  what was growing in each row.

If your kids are old enough, they may enjoy keeping a journal over the summer. They can track the growth of the garden with pictures and words.

Once your garden is up and going, it can be a good tool in teaching responsibility. The garden will have to be weeded and watered regularly. Try to have your kids take on this task.

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