Summer 2007 Volume 4, Number 2

A Grandma's Garden

Elizabeth Reinsch, Ph.D., CSW, ACSW
Human Development Specialist
University of Missouri Extension
314-615-7605
ReinschE@missouri.edu

Moving into the city a few years ago, I never thought I would have the opportunity to plant a
vegetable garden with more than a few vegetables. But to my surprise, right in the middle of a residential area only a few blocks from my home I found a community garden just waiting to be worked and planted. So along with my two and a half year old grandson, we weeded several plots, planted seeds and plants. He shoveled a lot of dirt with his little sand shovel, making piles everywhere and having a great time. His little fingers were just the right size to push seeds into holes. Once the seeds and plants were planted it was time to water. As the official waterier, my grandson got most of the garden wet along with a good deal of himself. He really enjoyed squirting the water everywhere. Then we sat back to watch the seeds grow. It wasn’t long before we could see small seedlings sprouting. We had lettuce and sweet peas early on. Later we planted the other vegetables. The tomato plants now have many little green tomatoes on them. We have bell peppers, chili peppers and onions forming but not yet big enough to pick. The zucchini and green beans are ready to pick now. My grandson likes to eat the green beans right off the plants. It seems that gardening with your grandchildren may be one way to get the kids to eat vegetables.

How fun it has been not only to produce the vegetables, but to watch the excitement of my grandson when we go to the garden and see what is happening each day. He has become an expert waterier, getting enough water on the plants but mostly on himself. Yet the fun we have exploring the various vegetable plants to see what we can pick is wonderful. My grandson is developing into a young gardener, not only understanding where vegetables come from and the need to care for them, but also learning to appreciate our time
together and the wonderful taste of fresh food.

Last summer I pushed him to the garden in a stroller, this year he will either walk or ride his little tricycle with a small compartment on the back to bring home those vegetables that he hasn’t eaten yet.

Teaching my grandson how to garden is making memories, not only for me but for him too. Planting the seeds, seeing something emerge from the soil, then grow bigger and turn into something edible are memories that will last a lifetime. I am sure glad we have had the opportunity to experience this together.