Fun Educational Summer Activities: Making a Garden (outdoors or in pots)

Planting and caring for a garden is one of those things that can have influence on many elements of one’s life. Working on a garden together can make a family closer; it can be an educational tool, can provide extra food, add beauty, be inspirational, and is fun and exciting. Gardening can also be done just about anywhere and in any kind of living condition.

Wither you live in an apartment or a house, Arizona or Oregon, you can plant a garden. Gardens can be outside in the ground or in containers inside or on the patio.

If you are new to growing a garden or if you don’t have much time, tomatoes are probably the best plant with which to start. The reason is that tomatoes are popular, relatively easy to grow, and produce abundant fruit on one plant. Tomatoes come in many varieties, some may be better for different climates and different situations. Roma tomatoes are the easiest to grow all around because they are more disease resistant and can be grown ideally in either a pot or in the ground. The recent fad of growing tomato plants upside down shows how versatile are tomato growing methods.

Growing food is a great idea but who wants a garden without flowers?

Outside you can grow any flower that will grow in your area’s climate. If you need information about what plants grow where, when, or in which areas of the garden, check with your local nursery.

Flower gardens work well in pots also. Almost any type of flower can be grown in a pot. Miniature Roses, Pansies, Lilies, Snap Dragons, and Poppies are all fairly easy to grow. The most important thing (other than watering and caring for the garden) is to select the right kinds of pots and soil. Wooden and plastic pots are not recommended.

No matter what you plant, a garden can be made personal and fun. You can decorate the outdoor gardens by painting stones and using them as the garden border. Container gardens can be enhanced with hand painted pots. If you have several children try giving each of them their own plant or area of the garden for which to care. Each child can paint his or her name on his or her pot(s) or on a rock placed in his or her area of the garden.

Inside, outside, or on the patio, a summer garden can bring color, flavor, and memories to the season.