Gardening can be a lot of fun if you love plants and gardening from your heart deep. But it can be challenging when you have kids. And more challenging if you have limited space, say you lie in an apartment and have only a balcony for gardening, unlike an independent house with huge open space.

You may have that passion to grow trees and plants on your own, but may be worrying about how to do it so that your kids do not spoil it. Or you must be confused about what to grow in that limited space available and quench your gardening thirst.

This post will give you comprehensive information about apartment gardening with kids, what plants you can grow and how to involve your kids in your apartment gardening.

Plant selection ideas when you have kids

Choosing plants when you have kids need to be done with little care. Pick the ones that need less maintenance and that grow faster. Opt for growing herbs on balcony rails or near kitchen windows.

Start small. Begin with 2-5 pots and choose the plants that are easily grown. Cherry tomatoes will be your best friend and your kid will love to watch them grow to their harvest.

Besides, the plants that you choose should not have thorns; not prone to pests easily, and should be harmless in all sorts.

Looking for plants that grow super-fast? You can try these – Sunflowers, peas, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini. If you are looking to grow flowering plants, marigolds and snapdragon will suit you best. If you are a rose lover, refrain from growing them till you kids are grown up or put the plant far away from the reach of your baby.

Involve your kid from the start

Right from the selection of plants, pots, seeds and other requirements for your apartment garden involve your kid. Take them with you to drop by a garden store and give them the freedom to choose colors and designs of pots. They will feel valued and happy.

Choose a theme that your kid loves

Kids love colors and variety. Accordingly, plan for a rainbow themed garden or butterfly garden.

For a rainbow garden, plan for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet colors of flowers. You can plan this along with your balcony rails or along the window that is the sunniest. For a butterfly garden, talk to your garden supplier and detail your ideas. They would suggest which plants you can choose to attract butterflies into your home.

You can teach them names of vegetables, sing songs and rhymes along, and strengthen your bond.

Design Your Pots

Unleash the child in you. Sit along with your kid and design funky, colorful pots and containers to grow your plants. Most apartment plants need a smaller size and you can experiment making new pots from old cans or paint and decorate purchased pots. Your child will love this activity and this will strengthen the bond between you both too.

You can also design and make cute bird homes for your balcony, which would definitely be a great addition to your apartment garden. Use old cardboard, packaging cartons, or leftover wooden pieces and design, make and paint your own birdhouse and hang it in the balcony.

Ask your kids to draw animals, bees, bugs on pebbles and use them in pots for decoration. They will enjoy doing it and take pride in showing them to whoever visits your home.

home gardening

Delegate Watering Tasks to Kids

If your kids are older enough, delegate the task of watering the plants to them. But remember to tell how to water and how much amount to water and what frequency the plants should be watered.

Hand them a cute watering can see the pride they carry on their face as they enjoy watering the plants.

Ideally, apartment plants need water every alternate day in small amounts as they do not find natural sunlight throughout the day.

Involve kids at every stage

Right from putting in the soil to the harvest, let your kids involved. Let them understand how plants grow, what manure does, how worms help, how soil breathes in air. If your child is a little older, you can show them how pollination occurs, how fruits and veggies grow and ripe, why they change color at different stages, etc.

They can also take pics of each stage and make a cute family garden album that they will enjoy as a good memory.

Gardening makes Kids Stronger

Do you hush away your kids while you garden? Do you think their hands are spoiled due to soil and manure? Nope. Gardening makes them better.

Gardening plays a key role in developing cognitive, motor development and sensory skills of your children. They learn identification, selection, and handling of things. They enjoy the sense of touch of flowers and soft silky leaves.

Spending on plants and outdoor is good for their health and eyesight too. They learn to enjoy nature and will understand where the food comes from onto our dining plate.

Spread the Fun

Gardening is a great way to bond over with your family members. Make it a routine on your weekends and take care of your apartment garden along with your kids. Cut down the digital time and spend this way more and relax.

Choose Wisely

When selecting soil and plants, make a wise selection. Choose good soil that gives you little maintenance. Ask experts about choosing soil that is plant friendly. You can find soil that is best suited for apartment gardening which is specifically processed with Ag spreaders and litter spreaders. This soil is fortified with manure and nutrients that your plants will love to grow on. Once purchased, you can use this soil for years together with no reduction in output.

You can also observe how other parents are doing their apartment gardening by joining similar groups or talking to your neighbors. Check with your gardener for that right mix of soil and plant varieties that suits you the best for your apartment garden need.

Author Bio: Thomas M Strother is the blogger at spreaders.com which specialize in making spreaders and dump trucks from last 24 years. They provide quality products in agricultural areas like lime and fertilizer spreader, construction and other needs from tailgate salt spreader to litter spreader. They make sure that customer requirements are full filled.