The garden can be a tremendous source of value in modern home life. Through it, you might enjoy a place to unwind, to be creative, to exercise, and to socialise with those close to you.
If you have a family with young children, and you want to encourage them to be more active, then getting them out into the garden is a great place to start.
Plant a Tree or Flower on Special Occasions
Planting something is a great way to mark a special occasion with your child. The occasion might be the arrival of a new family member, a birthday, or a significant milestone, like starting school.
A tree can become an enduring symbol of progress, and a visual reminder of the value of patience – especially if you pick one that comes to flower quickly. It might even help to evoke special memories of a particular moment. Pick a hardy plant that will remain impressive, year after year.
Start a Family Garden Day
The garden can be a great place for family bonding, especially if every member of the household is collaborating on the same project. Set aside a particular day of the month, and have everyone go out into the garden together. You can split up tasks like planting seeds, mowing the lawn, and watering flowerbeds, in a way that’s age-appropriate.
Many families will want to impress upon children the value of the right diet, as well as getting them active and outdoors. For this reason, onion plants are a great option, as they can be taken from the soil to the kitchen. Hardy herbs, like rosemary, and root vegetables, like carrots, can work well, too.
Create a Garden Journal or Scrapbook
When children (or, indeed adults) are working on a particular skill, keeping a journal can be hugely beneficial. It will help kids to reflect on what they’ve learned, and how far they’ve come. You can log the growth of particular plants, including drawings or photographs. You might also use it as an opportunity to log your evolving feelings toward the space, and how those feelings might change.
Pass Down a Signature Plant or Recipe
It might be that your family has a longstanding association with a particular plant. Your grandmother might have used home-grown mint in her tea, for example, to the point that you can’t imagine buying it from the shop.
You can pass this habit on to your children, and thereby help part of your family’s legacy to endure into the future.
Celebrate Seasonal Changes Together
Part of the charm of the garden space is that it continually evolves over the course of a year. There will always be new jobs to do, from clean-up in the autumn to planting in the spring.
You can mark particular times of year, like Christmas, with the help of the right outdoor decorations. If you and your family are able to design and install these decorations using materials taken from the garden itself, then the process will be that much more rewarding!
