National Children's Gardening Week

Guest Blog: By Ann Johnson

This week is National Children’s Gardening Week May 29 – June 6

When recalling gardens as a young child I am instantly reminded of how my sister and me recalled our two nans’; nanny with the garden and nanny with the yard. “Which one are we going to?” we would say in excitement as the trip to nan’s was announced. 

“My nanny with the garden” lived in a Shropshire village with a lovely, long and mature garden, one that bordered the front and side of the house and down the back of a much-loved family home. There was always something to wonder over, cousins to play with and sometimes gardening tasks to help out with; which was always rewarded with freshly baked cakes that often-included fruit picked from the garden.

“Nan with the yard” had exactly this ‘a yard’; living in a back-to-back in the black country.  As a child I recall the alley down the side of the house leading to what often felt like a soulless and boring outdoor concrete space.  Nan did not have many plants out in pots as it was mainly a small functional space for drying clothes and putting out the rubbish.  Today I think nan’s house if it was still standing could be a wonderful courtyard garden, for whatever the space (including a window box) children can learn to plant out and attract wildlife.

National Children’s Gardening Week celebrates the fun that any size garden can hold for kids. Children, parents, grandparents, schools or garden businesses can find ideas for fun garden projects and activities the National Children’s Gardening Week website https://www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk/

On the site they share that children love growing plants, love being in the garden but they’re often impatient, wanting to see instant results. National Children’s Gardening Week aims to capture children’s enthusiasm at a time when results are immediate. National Children’s Gardening Week takes place annually in the ‘warm’ week at the end of May.

Thompson and Morgan recommend a 10-top list of planting ideas for children that goes beyond cress and sunflowers; listing radishes; carrots; marigolds; tomatoes; peas; nasturtiums; chives; lettuce leaves; cornflowers and fennel as things that grow quickly and simply for young gardeners,

The week-long celebration of children’s love of gardening supports the Greenfingers charity, which is dedicated to providing magical gardens for children in hospices suffering from life limiting illnesses.