Have fun with your kids while doing something useful - container gardening! This will certainly help keep them from getting bored and they will love learning how to plant in garden pots. And, seriously, what could possibly be better than getting their little hands dirty while growing their own food. They might just be inclined to try some new foods they wouldn't ordinarily try (I know this works since I saw it happen with my own 6-year old son.)
The Pots
Now let's begin with the garden pots. Containers are available in a wide variety of materials and styles. They can be made from plastic, stone, wood, clay, etc. Since they are lightweight and pretty hard to break, I recommend using plastic pots for safety reasons for kids. Wood containers would be a good second option. Wood containers are usually made to be decorative and not necessarily water proof so you will probably end up putting your plastic pot inside the wood one.
Having your kids decorate the pots now is a good starting point. Use non-toxic paints such as acrylic which works great on both wood and plastic. Once the paint has dried, place the pot in your desired location before adding soil which makes the pot heavier and harder to move.
The Potting Soil
I recommend using a good potting soil as opposed to putting in plain old dirt. Potting soils are blended specifically for use in containers and they are made to hold water (which means less watering - and less maintenance). Its always a good idea to help freshly placed plants get a good start by feeding them with the proper nutrients. Mix the recommended amount into the potting soil (a guide will be printed on the bag). Be careful not to add too much as this can kill the plant.
Plants
Choose you plants according to the type of garden you want to grow - herb, vegetable, or flower. Then pick by size according to the size of your pots. Certain plants (such as tomatoes) will require larger sized pots. Remember, plants can be easily transplanted into larger garden pots later if they get to large for the pot you started with. As you can tell, this would be a great project for you and your kids and they are sure to love seeing (and eating) the fruits of their labor.
The Pots
Now let's begin with the garden pots. Containers are available in a wide variety of materials and styles. They can be made from plastic, stone, wood, clay, etc. Since they are lightweight and pretty hard to break, I recommend using plastic pots for safety reasons for kids. Wood containers would be a good second option. Wood containers are usually made to be decorative and not necessarily water proof so you will probably end up putting your plastic pot inside the wood one.
Having your kids decorate the pots now is a good starting point. Use non-toxic paints such as acrylic which works great on both wood and plastic. Once the paint has dried, place the pot in your desired location before adding soil which makes the pot heavier and harder to move.
The Potting Soil
I recommend using a good potting soil as opposed to putting in plain old dirt. Potting soils are blended specifically for use in containers and they are made to hold water (which means less watering - and less maintenance). Its always a good idea to help freshly placed plants get a good start by feeding them with the proper nutrients. Mix the recommended amount into the potting soil (a guide will be printed on the bag). Be careful not to add too much as this can kill the plant.
Plants
Choose you plants according to the type of garden you want to grow - herb, vegetable, or flower. Then pick by size according to the size of your pots. Certain plants (such as tomatoes) will require larger sized pots. Remember, plants can be easily transplanted into larger garden pots later if they get to large for the pot you started with. As you can tell, this would be a great project for you and your kids and they are sure to love seeing (and eating) the fruits of their labor.
About the Author:
Before starting any project using garden pots, make sure you check out Andy Raydalls web site about container gardening: AllGardenPots.com
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