CHARLOTTE, NC – Gardening is one of my favorite spring activities. Every year, I look forward to planting tiny seedlings and watching as they bloom and grow.

Growing a garden can be a great project to try while you’re quarantined at home with the kids. Whether you choose to grow flowers, herbs, or vegetables, gardening is a wonderful hands-on learning opportunity for children. As they care for their garden, children will learn about the parts of a plant and what plants need to grow and thrive. They can also inspect the many creatures who visit a garden such as bees, butterflies, worms, and ladybugs. Children will also learn responsibility and gain problem-solving skills as they work in the garden. Besides the educational benefits, gardening is a great excuse to get outside and have fun digging in the mud!

No yard space for a garden? Many plants can be grown successfully in containers on the patio.

To get the kids excited about your gardening project, take them along with you to the garden center, and allow them to pick out a few plants. You may be surprised by their choices! This year, one of my sons picked out purple tomatoes to try. I am looking forward to tasting them!

Choosing a themed garden can also be a fun way to get kids excited about a gardening project. A pizza garden is a fun theme that kids often enjoy.

For a pizza garden, choose veggies such as tomatoes (Roma is good for sauce), peppers, onions, and herbs like oregano and basil. Be creative with your choices – you may enjoy zucchini or spinach on your pizza! Try using your homegrown tomatoes and herbs to make homemade pizza sauce with the kids. Grab some pizza dough and your favorite cheeses and enjoy a homemade pizza with sauce and fresh toppings from your garden.

Happy gardening!