My children have all the enthusiasm in the world for gardening. They beg to have their own garden spot every year. The problem is that they only want to plant what they want to plant, and I can't convince them that cucumbers are better than the flower seed packets that they see in displays everywhere. Don't get me wrong. I love flowers. We planted hundereds of flower bulbs and seeds in the flower beds this year, but I reserve the raised garden beds I worked so hard to build for the fruits and veggies.
There are a couple of veggies that they are willing to plant. Strawberries are exciting because everyone knows they like to eat those. They also love the pumpkins because they know they will get to pick one out to carve for Halloween. After that they begin to lose enthusiasm over food plants. There is no fighting over the spinach seed packet or the zucchini squash. I can't even get them excited about the peas which I always loved when I was little. It's not that they don't like to eat veggies. Veggie plants are just not as pretty as flowers.
So when I went to the store to pick out flowers for my well planned flower pot arrangements I decided to let my 4-year-old daughter pick out whichever flower she wanted to go in one of the pots. Of course she picked something completely out of the color/flower scheme I had planned, but it meant a lot to her so we went with it. Now when you come up to my front porch you will see 4 pots with coordinating red and white Geranium, Petunia and Lilly arrangements. Then right by the front door there is a lovely pot of bright blue pansies. The funny thing is, it is that pot of pansies that is going to make me smile the most this summer.Labels: gardening, parenting
