By Clarence Schmidt

Copyright sandiegouniontribune

Even for those of you who have no kids, or those who still act like kids, there is something about gardening in here for you. The crossword puzzle is not going anywhere.

Anyone can start a garden, whether big or small, in containers, raised beds or in the ground, indoors or outside. You can be a successful gardener even without knowing all about plant types, soil science, pests, diseases and plant care.

OK, let’s gather up our yellow plastic buckets, shovels and watering cans…and make sure the kids have theirs too. We can play with the dump trucks later.

Keep things super simple and keep the sessions short. Most little kids have the attention span of goldfish.

Keep it a fun learning experience. Avoid any humor that I’ve used in the past. It just doesn’t work…trust me.

Let’s dig in. Grab a small box and punch four holes in the bottom. Let those little garden angels add dirt, drop in five or six seeds, water, and place it in a sunny location. Elapsed time — 15 minutes, or the equivalent of the big game’s halftime.

I simplified the process, but as they get older, they’ll need more details.

Have them make a mud pie, place a seed in it and let it sit there. Dirty hands are no problem. Bath time is a problem.

The seed packets will provide instructions regarding the sunlight, soil, depth, spacing requirements, and the best planting time of year.

Use a spray bottle. A watering can will likely lead to overwatering and the feisty ones will water your shoes and laugh their heads off. They will water the driveway, the patio furniture and each other. ​This is the phase where you truly learn the meaning of “unconditional love.”

Here are some of the easiest seeds for kids to grow:

Bean seeds…green, lima, or pole…your choice, are large and easy for little hands to handle and often sprout in a week. “Eat your beans” becomes much more fun when you grow them yourself.

Radishes…tiny seeds to handle, but can sprout in three days and be harvested in 21 days.

Sunflowers are easy to grow, reach impressive heights and attract pollinators like bees and birds.

Marigolds are colorful, easy to grow flowers and help to deter aphids, mosquitoes, whiteflies and, of course, the occasional moose.

Lettuce can be grown in containers, even on a windowsill.

Herbs such as basil, mint, cilantro, and dill can introduce kids to new smells and tastes. They are easy to grow indoors and outdoors. They can be used in cooking, making the experience more hands-on for the older horticulturists.

Pumpkins have large seeds, are fun to watch grow, and are a great activity for Halloween.

Watermelons have large seeds make planting easy, and it’s a refreshing summer treat.

Squash (summer, zucchini and butternut) is a low-maintenance, fast-growing vegetable that provides a bountiful harvest that can be shared with neighbors or a needy family.

A garden is a unique classroom where what a child learns continues to grow throughout their life. This is why you’ll see an increasing number of schools with small gardens.

Well, you say, let the school teach my kid about gardening. That’s fine, but the child will likely value the experience even more when they can say they grew something with MY dad or MY mom or MY grandparent. You’re very special to your kid. Togetherness time can build bonds and create lasting memories.

According to Garden.org. “When experienced gardeners look back at how and when they got started gardening it often involved a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent taking them under their wing.”

Almost everyone in my immediate and extended families was either a farmer or gardener. I remember sitting and “driving” the tractor on my granddad’s farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. He owned two sections (one section equals one square mile or 640 acres).

I also recall riding on the back of a tractor flatbed picking up large rocks from the fields, and snapping the ends off of beans and eating them on grandma’s back porch. I was 4 years old, and I have the black and white photos to prove it.

My wife bought a small clear plastic rectangular container and had me plant carrots in it with the goal of our grandkids watching the roots grow.

Or put a golden pothos cutting in a clear glass bottle so the kids can see the roots develop.

We have two grandsons, ages 2 ½ and 4 who actually enjoy picking weeds, without any prodding from papa. I questioned their bloodlines but added them to the payroll anyway.

Having them pull weeds or water the garden can instill in a child ownership, responsibility and increase their self-esteem. That’s my rationale and I’m sticking with it.

Gardening also teaches patience because plant growth takes time.

If some of them don’t succeed, well, that’s part of the learning process. I suspect that some of my plants die to avoid my care.

Let the kids design their little area. The more they are involved, the more they will want to work, or at least to visit the garden. Of course, their involvement will change with age.

Let their imagination run wild with decorating their garden. Have the child add a pinwheel, some painted rocks or a gnome.

Try growing a butterfly garden by planting milkweed.

With a raised garden bed, limit the width so the middle can be reached comfortably from either side. For access from a wheelchair the optimum raised bed height should be twenty-four inches.

Celebrate the child’s garden with family and friends using something the child grew to make him feel proud of their accomplishments.

Children are sometimes more willing to try a new fruit, herb or vegetable if they have been involved in growing it.

Sometimes I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from.

Children forget your presents but remember your presence.

Now, let’s play with our dump trucks.

Schmidt is a Poway resident with over 40 years of gardening experience.