Blooming Garden

by Dick Harrison

It doesn’t take much space, and the rewards for young ones can be enormous. Not only do they gain knowledge of gardening, they also gain an appreciation of good, healthy food from real, hands-on work. 

The extent of what you do depends on how much space you have available, but whether it’s a window box, a small patch of garden, or making a trip to the local allotment, there’s something for every kid to get stuck into.  

But before you start, make sure you’re going to grow something your children are going to want to eat – there’s no point in raising a fantastic crop of brussel sprouts if the kids are going to turn their noses up at the idea of actually putting them on their plates.  

John Hancox was one of the parents in the Hillhead area of Glasgow who helped set up the Hillhead Children’s Garden, created in a neglected and unused corner of the Botanic Gardens in 2003. He continues to play a hands-on role in its maintenance and cultivation, and has some basic advice for aspiring gardeners.  

“Look around and see what other gardeners are growing near you and around you to see what’s possible,” he says. “And when you’re planting from seeds, the most basic thing to remember is to read the instructions on the packet.” 

8March/April 2007 The Hillhead Children’s Garden is a great place to start if you are looking for ideas or inspiration. It now grows carrots, potatoes, peas, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes and pumpkins. 

There are also apples, strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb and various herbs such as mint and parsley. There are also benches scattered around for anyone who wonders in to take a seat and admire the work, and an open grassy space for kids to practise their cartwheels or crawl through the willow tunnel. 

The garden is right next to the children’s playground, but this natural playground feels far more appealing. At an age when most kids would rather get their free toy at the local fast-food joint, it’s becoming even more important to get them to appreciate good food.  

“The earlier that children start eating well, the better the situation is,” says Marilyn Martin, who is a research dietician in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow. “Many young people nowadays don’t even understand where food comes from or how it appears on the supermarket shelves."  

This is a really worthwhile exercise in getting kids familiar with fruits and vegetables, from both a psychological as well as a nutritional point of view. 

“Lots of children don’t eat fruit and veg, so for them to see something grow which they have planted will make them far more likely to want to eat them.” 

For some gardening inspiration, check out the Children’s Gardening Club at Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens. Email John Hancox at john@weegarden.co.uk or call 07786 063918. 

In terms of vegetables try: 

CARROTS – early varieties can be sown from late March until the end of April. 

PEAS – always go down well with kids, who can pick their own and eat them fresh from the pod. You can start sowing them outside from April. 

TOMATOES – start by sowing your tomato seeds in indoor planters before transplanting them in mid-April.  

POTATOES – you should wait until the risk of a late frost has passed, so mid-April is probably the best time to plant them.  

In terms of fruit, some good options to try are: 

STRAWBERRIES – you can’t beat picking your own strawbs, and April is the time to plant them for fruiting in the summer.  

BLACKCURRANTS & RASPBERRIES – spring is the ideal time to start these off, and kids will love picking them later in the year.  

APPLES – certain types of apple do better in the Scottish climate than others, but they are generally easy to grow and don’t take much attention. 

ALLOTMENTS 

Allotments as we know them today have been around since the mid-19th century, when reformers believed the diseases that afflicted so many of the poor stemmed from a lack of food and nourishment.  

They demanded plots be set aside in our cities for people to grow their own vegetables. The concept is as popular today as it’s ever been, with most allotments having a waiting list before you can start your planting.  

If you’re lucky enough to get one, it’ll cost you about £30 a year to lease, and you’ll be expected to use it, or lose it. 

Glasgow has 26 allotment sites, of which over half are managed by Glasgow City Council. The remainder are managed by individual allotment associations.  

Visit or contact the Allotments and Recycling Officer on 0141 287 5729. 

Edinburgh has 21 allotments throughout the city, but they all have waiting lists, some of up to several years.  

For more information, visit www.edin.gov.uk or contact the Allotments Officer on 0131 311 7072