Planting a Family Garden
With the May long weekend around the corner, parents nationwide are looking for ideas to keep the kids busy while enjoying the outdoors. Have you thought about a family garden? Planting a family garden can be a fun, memorable activity that not only brings the family together but also brings healthy food to your table!
It’s all about location
Whether you have a backyard or a small spot on your balcony, you can get creative with your gardening ideas. Just plan ahead and look at the space you have available to see what you can do.
If you have a large outdoor space, consider planting a combination of fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants or flowers. You can get creative and make this a place to relax and unwind for your family and friends. Try setting up an outdoor seating area, or an eating area for dining al fresco. Add some personal touches to your garden by adding a fire pit, birdfeeder (have your kids make one!), string lights or stepping stones.
If your outdoor space is a balcony, you can definitely still enjoy the benefits of a family garden! You can also plant a combination of fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants or flowers but you may have to be more creative to make the most of your small space. Plant things that can easily grow in containers or decorative planters and grow like things together. Consider a planter of herbs, or another of flowers. There are lots of fruits and vegetables that grow well in a container, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, peppers, strawberries, blueberries and others. Decorative planters will help beautify your outdoor space while allowing you to reap the tasty benefits of fresh fruits and veggies.
The family that gardens together, eats together…
Planting a family garden will help create memories for your family while spending quality time together. Get the kids a set of their own garden tools and watering can, and encourage them to take ownership of a plant. Kids will enjoy this exciting activity and bonus – they’re more likely to eat the vegetables they’ve grown themselves! Kids will also have fun being able to play in the dirt and may even want to read about how various plants grow (we won’t tell them it’s learning if you don’t!). They’ll also feel proud of growing something with their hands that the entire family can enjoy.
Healthy eating starts at home
Growing your own fruits and vegetables will encourage healthy eating for you and your family. For starters, fresh produce will always be within your reach. You will no longer have to depend on going to the store for your salad ingredients, everything you need will be in your backyard. You should also consider using organic soil and planting organic seeds, as this will result in tastier produce with more nutrients that you’d find in non-organic plants. Finally, freshly picked produce tastes delicious and you are likely to eat more of them instead of processed junk food.
Once your garden is complete you can enjoy it all day long! You can admire the colourful flowers while having your morning coffee, collect some blueberries for your breakfast pancakes, and muddle some freshly picked mint leaves in your mojito glass.
So, have you started your family garden yet??
To your Balanced health,
Your friends at The Balanced Company
