Growing a gardener: Teaching a child the basics in taking care of a plant can be fruitful for all

By Paul Schnare

The other evening I was sitting at my desk in my study at home. I looked up at the wall and saw a picture of myself and my granddaughter Kelsi. It was published in this newspaper about 20 years ago. I was holding her, and we were intently looking at a pine cone. She seemed mesmerized.

Now that I am thinking about that picture, I realize it was an omen of sorts. Kelsi is now in her senior year at Southeast Missouri State University and doing an internship with me at Sunny Hill. Her topic is "How do parents and children interact while gardening."

As part of this internship, Kelsi is conducting a program called First Saturday Kids. On the first Saturday of every month children are invited to Sunny Hill from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kelsi gives the children a short talk about a specific gardening project, then each child is given a project, the results of which are taken home. There the children can watch the plant project grow in their own home or backyard.

The purpose of this internship is to develop methods of gardening that encourage parents to work/play with their children at home. For example, when starting a traditional garden, the soil must be tilled. This process develops a work ethic for kids. At the same time, parents can explain to their kids why the soil is important. It provides support for growing plants by growing roots. Soil also is a source of water and nutrients for those growing plants.

Paul Schnare holds a framed copy of his gardening column that features his granddaughter, Kelsi Siebert, when she was 2 years old as published Dec. 16, 1998 in the Southeast Missourian.Fred Lynch

I can remember the first time I asked Kelsi to help me till the garden. She was all excited, until she stepped on the tilled soil in her bare feet. It was comical to watch as she was trying to walk on her tiptoes. She didn't like it at all. Thankfully she got over that.

Timing of planting is important for kids to know. Some plants can withstand cold temperatures, such as lettuce. The time to plant it is on Valentine's Day. It will do well even with frost on the newly emerging leaves. Other plants, such as tomatoes, can't handle cold temperatures. They shiver if planted when there is even a hint of frost.

Any gardener knows that there must be over 50 varieties of tomatoes on the market. By planting different varieties, you can explain the differences in size, shape, color, texture, nutritional value and environmental needs to produce a really good crop.

The same goes for corn. Again, there are many varieties with differences in growth rate, seed color, texture and maturation date. A parent can ask the child which variety they like most.

I can go on and on about other vegetables. In all cases, there are a lot of varieties to be used in different growing conditions.

When I first started gardening, my job was to till the soil with a spade. It sure was a job, but I began to learn the importance, value and feeling good about doing a good job.

I also can remember waiting until that first ear of corn was put on my plate at dinner time. It was worth the wait.

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or just a good friend or neighbor of a child, now is a great time to take them under your wing and garden together. Your guidance and time spent not only will help them become good citizens of our wonderful USA, but also put some very good products on your plate. More importantly, it will teach them about work ethics and where our food comes from.

Give your child a hug, a hoe and some seeds, then enjoy the results for years to come.