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http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=89442
PROCTOR’S TIPS: Gardening with kids
posted by: Sara Gandy , Web Producer
KUSA – Some are born with a silver spoon in their mouth; I had a metal trowel in my hand. I’ve felt lucky to grow up gardening. Plants and the natural world fascinated me from an early age and continue to do so. You’ll do your children a favor by letting them share in your gardening activities. Dirt is a kid magnet anyway, so you might as well make their time in it fun and productive. I wish they’d made pint-sized tools when I was a boy. Today there are functional spades, trowels, wheelbarrows, tote bags, watering cans and pails just the right size for budding gardeners. Junior horticulturists can also look the part with garden-themed shirts and sunglasses. Imitating mom and dad, kids can learn to dig, plant and water plants. Some plants even produce seeds big enough for kids to handle such as beans, peas and corn. Watching seeds germinate and grow helps children understand that vegetables and fruit don’t originate in the produce aisle of the supermarket.
Jiffy makes pop-up pellets that expand when water is added. Watermelon, pumpkins and sunflowers can be sprouted on the windowsill, then transplanted to the garden in late May. Imagine your child’s amazement at watching a tiny seed grow into a towering sunflower or giant pumpkin.
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