Teach children gardening skills

When Nick Thompson of Madison was growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he preferred spending time in his backyard garden instead of playing on the beach with his friends.



As far back as 10 years old, Thompson loved the process of planting seeds in the Coast's sandy soil, tending them through the hot summer, watching them grow and then harvesting the rewards in the form of plump tomatoes, shiny green peppers and colorful yellow squash.

It's that type of memorable experience that Thompson seeks to pass on to his 11-year-old son, Nicholas. He also hopes to inspire customers who bring their children in to his business, Madison Garden and Landscaping, to start a new summertime family tradition - vegetable gardening.

"I tell parents looking for fun things to do with their children this summer to forget about searching for prize tomatoes at the fruit stand, but instead to grow your own and make it a family project," said Thompson, owner of the garden, landscaping and floral business at 811 Madison Ave. "Teach your own children how to garden, even it it's just a single tomato plant in a backyard container. This could be the most memorable thing you do with your children this summer."

Parents through the ages have discovered that gardening gives children a new window to the world. Youngsters learn to see life cycles in an "up close and personal" sort of way - everything from collecting and drying new seeds to watching the product grow, to gathering the fruits of their labor for the family dinner table.

Thompson said today's interest in gardening has evolved over the past few years as homeowners have begun to spend more time in their yards in general and specifically, to grow things that are actually useful.

"In the past few years, there's been an increased interest in home vegetable gardening, either by planting a full-size garden with rows of peas, beans, corn and okra, to dedicating just a small sections of the yard or even a corner or the flower bed, down to a small container on the deck," Thompson said. "More parents are becoming concerned about teaching their children usable skills like gardening while helping them connect to the environment."
For those who want to start small, Thompson suggests selecting a vegetable their child actually likes - usually tomato - as well as a fast grower. Choose a hardy tomato and help them plant it in their own little corner of the flower garden or a separate container.



Teaching children gardening skills can be a valuable skill that they continue into adulthood as well as something that provides a measure of confidence to a child as they see the fruits of their labor.

"Gardening is fun for children, as they can actually see and take credit for what they've done," Thompson said. "Best of all, they are doing something constructive with their parents and learning a valuable skill. My father didn't like to garden, but he allowed me to have one and in fact, encouraged it. I'm very grateful for that, as it led me to my present career."

Thompson said teaching a child to garden is also another way to teach responsibility to kids that might not be ready for more challenging tasks, such as caring for a pet.

"It's a great way to teach responsibility and provide them with tasks that, if they do well, will have some lasting results," he said. "If you plant some seeds and don't water and take care of them, they won't produce well. Kids can see and understand that without becoming too disappointed. It often makes them want to do better next year."

For parents who don't have a lot of gardening acumen, a small home vegetable plot or container doesn't have to be a "go-it-alone" project. Thompson and his staff have the knowledge to walk them through the process from start to finish.

"We can show them what seeds to buy if they want to start out like that, or help them pick out the best starter plants," he said. "We advise those who want to start small to use at least a 17-inch pot, use a good quality potting soil and filter it with our secret ingredient, cotton seed meal."

Thompson advises to put a base of the meal around the perimeter of the plants. Then, replenish every three weeks with more meal and you're almost guaranteed to get good results, he says.
For those still stumped over which vegetables to grow, Thompson said tomatoes, squash, okra and peppers do relatively well in containers. Herbs also do well in outdoor pots. He said the homegrown, fresh herbs are so much tastier as well as less expensive as the ones found in grocery stores.



"Basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, chive and rosemary grow well in flower pots or small beds," Thompson said. "If you purchase a bunch of basil in the supermarket, you're going to pay at least $3," he said. "Grow your own and you can have a handful every day or so; the only cost is the seed or small starter plant and your potting soil."

Another fun project for kids is planting a pumpkin patch to rival Charlie Brown's. Thompson said now is the time to plant a pumpkin crop that will ripen in time for Halloween and other fall activities.

"Kids really seem to enjoy watching pumpkins grow, so this is something parents can do now that will allow them to pick their own pumpkin to carve at Halloween," he said. "However, at least a 10 x 10 foot area is needed for pumpkins, so you must dedicate a little more space in the yard for that."

For those that might be worried about the skill and expense involved in a home vegetable garden, Thompson offers the following words of advice: "start small."

"Really, the cost is minimal when you consider the fact that you can buy four tomato plants for around $2 and a bag of potting soil will last three years or more," he said. "Start out with tomatoes and peppers; two things that are easy to grow. Even if they don't yield what you expect the first year, you can try again next year and do it bigger and better."

Beyond instilling a love of nature into your children, gardening can become an enlightening hobby that some may carry into adulthood, Thompson says.

"The main thing is you're spending time together as a family and the kids are having so much fun they don't even know they're learning, "he said. "That's even better than picking the first tomato off the vine."
Here are some recipes that can be prepared with fresh, homegrown Mississippi vegetables and herbs:



Fresh Green Bean

Parmesan

2 to 3 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut

water to cover, about 3 to 4 cups

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine green beans and water in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 8 t o 10 minutes until tender but still a bit crisp. Drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans and set aside. Combine mushrooms, onion, water chestnuts, salt, pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning and oil in a Dutch oven; sauté until onion is tender. Stir in beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Summer Squash

Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup chopped onion

发布帖子

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

water
From; http://www.mcherald.com/