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Herb Gardening With Your Children

By Mary Hanna

Herb gardening with children is a delightful way to engage children in gardening as a hobby. Both your teenagers and young children will enjoy herb gardening. Teach them about the history of herbs and their many uses. Not only will they get a feeling of satisfaction about growing the herbs but they will feel a sense of contribution to the family when the herbs are used in cooking. They will be amazed at what they have accomplished through a mere seed.

For centuries herb gardening has been popular. In addition most of the very popular herbs are disease resistant and can overcome very arid climates. There are two advantages to an herb garden hobby. One, they can be planted indoors at any time and if you want to plant outside they only take a few weeks to sprout giving your children a sense of wonderment quickly. So if the kids are bored during the cold months being cooped in side an indoor herb garden is perfect. Choose fragrant smelling herbs or herbs that will spice up your food. Imagine how much fun they will have when they sprinkle fresh basil from their garden on their pizza.

To begin an herb garden with your children you will need to get some easy to find basic items. Start small with six pots that have holes in the bottom. Have the kids paint the pots for an additional activity. Next you will need either seeds or already started plants from your nursery center or from the internet.

Only a few basic easy to find items are necessary to begin an herb gardening project with your children. The most popular herb plants for children are Lavender, Sage, Mint, Coriander, Basil, Parsley and Oregano. You will need some good potting soil also available at the nursery center. Have on hand some plastic wrap, Popsicle sticks, a marking pen and poster paints if the kids are going to paint the pots.

Once you have gathered your supplies it is time to plant. Fill the pot with soil and have the kids scatter a few seeds over the top (check to make sure the seeds don't overlap). Have them gently place soil over the seeds and light tamp down. Plant more then a few seeds since some seeds won't sprout.

Water the soil but don't drown it. Herbs do no like to have "wet feet". However do not allow them to dry out. With your marking pen, label the Popsicle stick with the name of the herb and insert into the pot.

To conserve on moisture cover the pot with plastic wrap. Make sure you uncover them for fresh air every other day so mildew cannot form.

Now it is time to find a sunny spot to place your herb garden. Herbs need 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day. In two to six weeks, depending on the herbs you have chosen, your seeds will begin to germinate. Off with the plastic wrap now that they are ready to grow.

The kids will love watching them grow and smelling their fragrances. It's time to enjoy your herb garden with your children.

Once the kids have been successful in this project you may wish to branch out and start growing some other herbs. This project of herb gardening with your children will truly inspire your kids with a love and appreciation of gardens and herbs.

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Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.GardeningLandscapingTips.com http://www.GardeningOutside.com and http://www.GardeningHerb.com

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