Years ago, when we held Open Gardens, they were “adult only” as, with farm dams and machinery, we had no way to keep kids safe. One invitee asked to bring her eight-year-old grandson. “He adores gardening. He’ll be fascinated.”
The kid told me later it had been the best day of his life. While the adults listened to a two-hour talk then toured the garden, he slowly worked his way down the three trestles of afternoon tea, able to eat all the home-made biscuits, cakes, frittata, lemon tarts and varied sandwiches he wanted.
Kids are not natural gardeners. A true gardener is excited when they plant a dead-looking stick, imagining the apple tree it will be. Kids don’t have the experience to understand garden magic, until they are shown it: these tiny seeds will become a lettuce. Watch this avocado seed shoot, balanced on toothpicks over a glass of water. Then we’ll plant it and one day you’ll eat its fruit.
Kids are natural garden lovers. Humans — especially kids — are happier and calmer with green and growing things around them. Want kids to put the screen away? Give them a tree to climb. Sadly, all too many kids need to be taught how to climb a tree. They’ve never been shown, not given one that is easily climbable.
A few months ago, I invited a passing family to pick fruit in our garden. I looked back as the small boy said wonderingly, “Mum, is that a lemon? Can I really pick it?” His sister had already chosen and picked an orange. She looked as if she’d been given the crown jewels. When I was a kid, most