Encouraging the next generation of gardeners
There’s a crisis in horticulture – not enough young people are coming forward to enter the industry, so gardening with children is vital. There’s a massive skills gap – so why aren’t kids wanting to be professional gardeners? This is my view, so don’t get upset, but the problems are deep-rooted (sorry), institutionalised and partly perception. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel…
Gardening with children – The media’s portrayal
Those most respected in the horticultural media tend to be older, upper-middle-class and southern (not Carol Klein though). Hence, gardening is portrayed as a ‘hobby’ for the retired in the Home Counties. Obviously, up north, we scratch a living off rocks and only grow malformed leeks in our allotments.
The good news is that many younger gardeners and writers are coming to the notice of the public thanks to social media. Their high profiles – Annabelle Padwick from Life at No. 27, Ellen Mary Gardening and Michael Perry aka Mr Plant Geek are three that spring to mind – are terrific role models.
Gardening with children – Careers advice
In the 1980s, when I wanted to be a professional gardener, I was told I was ‘too clever’ for a career in horticulture. There are the RHS diplomas, of course, and the charity is pushing the range of horticultural careers open to people of all ages and abilities now. There’s also a handy archived page from the BBC on gardening careers and courses, but do check they’re still available. It’s a good starting point. Again, social media and the internet have opened another career avenue for those wanting to share their experiences with others.
Public perception
People used to view gardening as a hobby, not a career, with the only options being a low-paid, seasonal job or a celebrity presenter/designer. However, I think things are changing. The invisible middle-ground jobs, which were not shouted about a great deal even a decade ago, aren’t so invisible any more. One positive of the Coronavirus pandemic is that people rediscovered their gardens and the love of nature, which is really important in getting children into gardening. Expect this to keep on growing!
Gardening with children – Education
Gardening’s on the National Curriculum, which is great, but on a packed syllabus. Parents need to step up, get their own gardens in hand and work alongside their kids.
Snobbishness
Full marks to stores like Poundland for their good-value products which let anyone have a go. Hopefully, they’ll go on to buy from local independent nurseries or mail-order specialists. Sadly, watching gardening shows or seeing show gardens can frustrate the beginner. Hand-thrown terracotta pots, pleached limes and greenhouses that cost more than a North-East terraced house really can put the hard-up off. We need to promote the idea you can garden on a budget very successfully!
Gardening with children – 10 top tips for a kids’ plot
Sowing seeds
Start broad beans, peas, sprouting veg, sunflowers, and nasturtiums on a windowsill – little ones will be fascinated by life coming from a tiny seed.
Give them their patch
Let them grow what they want to – chances are, they’ll want wildlife to visit (make sure the plants are non-poisonous).
Plant for people and wildlife
Put together plants that are beneficial to people and wildlife, such as fruit, vegetables and herbs mixed with shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Sunflowers, strawberries, thyme, herbs and firethorn (Pyracantha) offer nectar, seeds and berries.
Think of the birds
Buy (or make) a birdhouse, feeding station, or birdbath, placed in the open so cats can’t ambush it. Keep feeding birds once you start – they come to rely on specific sources of food.
Wild meadow flower bed
Getting children into gardening is easy if you sow a mixture of wildflower and grass seeds in a sunny area. You will attract insects, birds, bees and butterflies by providing food and shelter.
Plant roses
People love the fragrance and if they get aphids, this is a food source for birds and ladybirds. Birds love hip-bearing varieties, such as Rosa glauca, in autumn/winter.
Hedges
Mixed native varieties create a natural habitat for birds. These plants grow quickly and can be planted in single or double rows.
Log stacks
Piles of wood/logs are home to some and a larder for other wildlife. Place it in a shady spot so that it remains cool and damp.
Insect box
To make one, screw together four lengths of wood and fill with hollow canes of various diameters. Place the box in a sheltered area, and on a fence, so the insects can find it.
Create a mini pond
Have safety in mind here – all you need is a tub of water about 40cm deep. Fill with aquatic plants like Nymphaea pygmaea (pygmy water-lily) and Callitriche verna (water starwort), which will attract frogs and other amphibians. Use aquatic compost. Place secure fencing around the pond or metal caging on top. Put logs and pebbles around the pond to give access to wildlife.
Gardening with children – projects for primary children
Gardening’s in the National Curriculum framework, so children must understand plants – here are some fun ways to get them growing. Green-fingered skills are popping up in design and technology, science and geography – getting children into gardening will end up in a better school report.
Gardening with children – Pre-school/reception
Root veg volcanoes: Make your own country! Fill a seed tray with a 2.5cm layer of compost – let the kids shape the landscape. Slice the tops off carrots, swede, turnips or parsnips and plant them. Decorate with stones or shells. Place on a windowsill and keep damp – the tops will soon sprout green ‘lava’.
Year One
Ready, steady, sprout: Teeny Greeny has a good selection of varieties. Check twice daily with a magnifying glass. After germination, list the structures – seed case, roots, stem, leaves – then eat them! Other similar kits are also available from garden centres and major DIY stores.
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Identifying plants’ basic structures.
Gardening with children – Year Two
Meadow flower monster: A project for school, the garden, or even a large container. Buy a wildflower seed mixture (Thompson & Morgan has several). In spring, on a weed-free sunny site, rake the soil, then water thoroughly. Mark out the outline with sand. Thinly sow the seed inside, then rake in. After germination, it needs to be watered, tended and thinned out. The first varieties should bloom by June. Others will flower next spring through to autumn, creating an ongoing project and a wildlife haven.
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Growing – plants’ need for water, light and a suitable temperature.
Year Three
Magic carnations: An old florist’s trick – slice 2cm diagonally from a white carnation stem. Place in a vase of water, which has had 10-20 drops of food colouring added. Leave 12-24 hours. As water travels up the stem, the flower changes colour (red and blue work fastest).
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Plant structure – transportation of water.
Gardening with children – Year Four
Habitat study: This is best started around February half-term in school, the garden, or a park. Decide on a manageable area and do a wildlife hunt, listing what you find, where and when. Think how the environment could be improved – planting for insects, bird feeders, bug boxes – log stacks provide overwintering sites. Do this monthly and see if biodiversity changes. Note negative effects – litter, pollution, cats!
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Changing environment.
Year Five
Cuttings: Growing Pelargoniums (geraniums) from cuttings. Cut a 5cm long shoot and pinch off leaves except for the top two. Plant 1.5cm deep near the edge of a 13cm clay pot in damp compost – five or six will fit. Place in good light indoors. When roots poke out of the bottom, pot up individually.
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Reproduction.
Gardening with children – Year Six
Ordering their world: Put a 1sqm grid over a patch of land. With a magnifying glass, list the plants and animals you find. Classify them according to observable characteristics, similarities and differences.
CURRICULUM FOCUS: Classification.
For more ideas on getting children into gardening and teacher resources, visit rhs.org.uk.
