By MaryHelen Swanson

"How did you get so dirty?" parents often ask their kids when they come in from playing outside.

If your kids don't really have a good answer, and that summertime mess in the house makes you cringe, why not get them started in gardening. It will at least give the kids a good excuse for dragging in all that dirt.

If your family was into gardening when you were growing up, you may have, at one time or another, been mandated to help with planting, weeding, watering, harvesting ... or even the freezing and canning of the produce. You might have moaned and groaned about the work, but admit it, you enjoyed being outdoors and getting down and dirty in the summertime. There were other advantages, too, like getting a tan while being out in the sun.

While gardening is hard work, it can be made fun for children, especially if they have their own little plot.

Getting started

You might want to start the garden project out with a visit to a garden center or even the produce section of your neighborhood grocery store.

In the grocery store, show them the vegetables that can easily be grown in local gardens, such as potatoes, peas, carrots, green and wax beans, corn, squash and pumpkins. They might be very surprised to learn they can grow these vegetables by themselves.

At the garden center, especially in early spring when all the bedding flowers are in bloom, walk up and down the rows and look at the different varieties, once again talking about those that grow easily in local flower beds such as petunias, pansies, marigolds, daisies, zinnias and cosmos.

Look at the seed packages or bins of bulk seeds and point out things such as what peas look like before they are planted. They may not know that the green peas they eat at dinner are the same dried up pea seeds that are planted.

Perhaps someone at the garden center can walk with you for more ideas, especially if gardening is not your specialty.

They can point out that vegetables and flowers can either be planted as seeds or as small plants early in the growing season.

Making plans together

Then, go home and talk about what kind of garden your child would like: flowers, vegetables, or both.

You can talk about the things plants need: good soil, water and sunshine, etc. Once your kids have decided what they'd like in their garden, go outside and look around your yard for a good garden plot, talking about how much sun their plant choices will need.

Perhaps you already have a garden area, then you might consider carving out a small section just for your child's garden.

It is very meaningful for children to have their "own" garden plot.

Don't get too ambitious, especially if the child is very young. Keep the spot small enough so tending the garden won't be overwhelming. If the garden is too big and is overcome with weeds, it won't produce well and that may be it for the activity for the rest of their lives.

For very young children, a spot no bigger than five feet square is a good start: a couple of plants, a few vegetables or flowers are enough. Children might even "garden" in a container such as an old wash tub or large patio-type flower pot.

They won't get a whole lot of plants into such a small area, but that is fine for a first garden and it is so easily controlled.

Your older children probably shouldn't be planting long rows of vegetables or tons of flowers, either. You don't want gardening to become such a chore they will lose interest.

Seeds - the bigger the better

When using seeds, it's best to encourage planting such vegetables as beans, peas, corn, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins; those with large seeds easily handled and visible while planting.

Carrots, lettuce, etc. have such small seeds they may get planted too deep and not come up, or not find their way to the garden at all. Besides, it's fun to see that big white bean seed turn into a plant full of long green beans. And if there are any beans on the plants at the end of the season, the lesson will continue as they see the bean seeds again inside the dried up pods.

When purchasing four- or six-packs of bedding plants, especially if you are not familiar with the process, ask someone at the garden center to show you and your child how to remove the plants from the pack and explain how deep to plant them.

Purchase of a pair of kid's garden gloves, it makes them feel official, and perhaps some child-sized garden tools to help get your child enthused. An inexpensive tool box, an open one with a handle, will help keep their gardening equipment together. An ice cream bucket would work, too, and could be decorated by the young gardener. You might consider a small watering can also. It's the best way to water a small garden plot. Children can wash away seeds with a garden hose.

After the child has decided what he or she will be planting, you could help them make markers for their garden. An easy method is to staple empty seed packets to a tongue depressor (get them in the craft section). But there are a lot of other ways, be creative.

Teachable moments

If your child is very young, you will need to help him or her till the soil, and ready it for planting. Older children can do it themselves, with your able supervision. They need to loosen the soil, break up clumps and rake it smooth. If your soil has been used for a garden before, you may not have to get into additives, if not, consult your specialist at the garden center for steps to take to enhance the soil.

Then prepare to get down on your knees alongside your kids to help them plant.

As you do this, talk about how they can watch the plants grow. Using the guidelines on the seed packets, tell them about how long it will be before sprouts begin to appear. That will be an exciting day. Little ones will be impatient, but will be thrilled when they seed the first signs of life in their gardens. Be sure they don't try to "pick" the little sprouts.

When the child has planted his or her garden and placed a marker where the seeds are planted, talk about when and how to water the garden.

If they have planted tomato plants, help them put a stake in place and explain that the little plant will get big and need some help to stand up straight. A small trellis might be good for a patch of beans or peas.

As the seeds come up and the plants grow, show the child how to pull the weeds and loosen the soil when necessary, without harming the plants.

How do you tell the weeds from the plants? There used to be a picture of the seedlings on seeds packet. If not, then ask at the garden center if they have anything that will help to identify the little plants.

A garden journal

Be sure to take pictures of the child and his or her garden throughout the summer. Start with them standing by the bare ground. Snap away as they plant, weed, and harvest. And of course, as they enjoy eating their crops or carrying a handful of marigolds to grandma.

You might encourage older kids to keep a written journal of what was planted and when, and how they felt as it grew. They will then have a record of their garden for the next year and know whether they want to make changes in what they grow.

The rewards

The harvest will be the final joy of gardening. Help the youngsters decide what is ripe and ready to pick. Or, if they have grown flowers, suggest that they share them with family and friends, or maybe even the shut-in in your neighborhood.

Gardening is a habit that can grow on kids, and give them a healthy, outdoor activity to do for the rest of their lives. Get those youngsters into gardening and when they come in covered in dirt this summer, you'll know they've been up to something good.

There are many area 4-H clubs which children can join and participate in horticulture project work. To find a club in Chisago County, call (651) 674-4417, in Isanti County call (763) 689-1810, or in Washington County, call (651) 430-6800.