#NGW - our favourite gardening tips!

Now that National Gardening Week is drawing to a close, we take a look back at our gardening days and give you these top tips for gardening with your little one.

Where did that worm go?

I claim this patch as my own

1. Find an area that your little one could call their own.

It doesn't have to be a square patch in the garden, it could be a pot, a tub, a window box - anything that is easy for the little one to tend to!

We've found that a pot or tub is best, it's raised up so we don't have to sit in our garden patch!






                                         2. Lead by example

Mummy & baby 'mow' up
the leaves

Before the ban we were learning about
watering the plants

Your little one wants to do exactly what you do, so if you're pulling up plants (weeding) they'll want to do just that. If you're watering... they'll want to water as well just don't expect them to water the plants very much.









3. Use appropriate tools

There's a huge array of children's gardening tools available, please choose ones that are age appropriate. Dangerbaby wants to use a hoe, but wields it like a javelin... so we swap it for a plastic rake whenever we can!

This one goes here...

She has her own little trowel and fork, but has been known to favour a spoon from the garden.

4. Organic gardening is best
(here are some of my photos of creatures in my garden)

Try to avoid using chemicals in your gardening. Weedkiller, bug spray and other garden treatments are poisonous and usually packaged in bright coloured plastics. Irresistible to young inquisitive minds!

Organic gardening will also encourage creepy crawlies, butterflies and other wildlife into your garden. Another way to teach the little ones about nature!


5. Above all have fun, your little one will learn to enjoy gardening tasks if they're fun!

I found the bulb, I ...
oh plant the bulb. Oh.

Brrrrmmmm come on Mummy don't stop!

Just be prepared to not have a neat & tidy garden for a while!

Fun with a toddler is messy and if you garden with a toddler - it's all about being messy. I advise old clothes that you don't mind being covered in mud.