If possible, provide your child with his or her own garden plot so they feel a sense of ownership in the gardening project. Children easily become overwhelmed by an extensive gardening venture, so start small and keep the garden plan simple. Your child's garden plot might take the form of a 4-by-4-foot square, a planter, a window box or a portion of one of your garden beds.

Guide the selection of a garden location to ensure that it receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, is close to the water source and tool storage, is protected from strong winds and has fertile, well-drained soil.

However, the key to maintaining interest is to allow your child the freedom to explore and make the decisions (and, yes, even mistakes) that will affect his/her garden.

Consider investing in sturdy children's' gloves and tools. The lighter, smaller and more colorful children's tools make gardening tasks easier and will be money well spent. Most of our local gardening centers are now carrying equipment specifically designed for children. Don't forget to document your child's garden with before, during, and after photographs.

SELECTING SEEDS AND PLANTS

Children can find plants that pique their interest by browsing through seed catalogs or by visiting local gardens and gardening centers. Allow your child to choose plants based on features they like or foods they enjoy eating. When multiple varieties of a plant exist, help your child narrow down the selection using the following criteria.

Select varieties that:

• have a superior taste or appearance
• have a short maturation period (kids want results fast!)
• produce an abundant harvest in a small space
• are hardy for this area (horticultural zones 7/8)
• are resistant to pests/diseases
• require a minimum of care.

Some recommendations include:

BEANS

Beans are fast-growing plants with seeds large enough for younger children to manipulate. Two particularly interesting varieties include scarlet runner beans and purple-pod beans. Scarlet runner beans are pole beans that produce beautiful and edible red flowers that attract hummingbirds. Purple-pod beans are snap beans that change from a deep purple to a bright green color when steamed. Keep in mind that pole beans will need a support structure on which to climb, while most varieties of bush beans will not.

Plant from 4/16-6/20 for summer and from 7/3-8/3 for fall harvest.

CARROTS

While carrots come in a variety of shapes and sizes, small varieties are generally sweeter. Carrots do not require a lot of space, but the seeds are tiny and difficult to handle. You may be able to purchase seed tape, which comes with the seeds correctly spaced between strips of paper. Recommended varieties for our area include Gold King, Danvers, and Imperator.

Plant from 3/7-4/21 for summer and 8/3-9/8 for fall.

CUCUMBERS

Unless grown vertically on a supportive structure, cucumbers can consume a fair amount of garden space. Cucumbers, however, are easy to care for and their seeds large enough for younger children to manipulate. If you have a child that loves pickles, this may be a good selection. (Be sure to choose a pickling variety.) Recommended slicing varieties for our area include Dasher II, Gemini, Bush Whopper and Sweet Slice. Liberty is recommended for pickling. Plant from 4/15-5/16 for summer and 8/3-9/1 for fall.

DECORATIVE/SPECIALTY GOURDS

Decorative gourds can be used to make bird houses, water dippers, luffa sponges and Halloween/Thanksgiving Decorations. Gourds are fast growers that should be grown vertically on a support structure to conserve garden space.

LETTUCE

Lettuce, an easy and fast grower, comes in an interesting variety of colors and textures and consumes little garden space. Leaf lettuce is probably easier for children to grow than head lettuce. Recommended varieties for our area include Salad Bowl and Tom Thumb.

Plant from 3/2-4/16 for summer and from 9/1-9/24 for fall.

PEAS

Peas are rapid growing plants with easy to manage seeds. Peas will need a support structure on which to climb. Sugar Snap is a sweet pea with an edible pod.

Plant from 2/15-3/27 for summer and from 8/18-9/4 for fall.

POPCORN

Because successful wind pollination will require that you plant a minimum of three rows of corn, popcorn can use a large amount of garden space. Tom Thumb is a fast-growing dwarf variety that uses little space. Other interesting varieties include Strawberry popcorn, which produces small ears of red kernels, and Pretty Pops, which has red, blue, orange, black, yellow, and purple kernels that turn white when popped.

Plant from 4/16-6/15.

PUMPKINS

Children love growing their own jack-o-lantern, pie filling or source for roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins, however, require time to mature and use a lot of garden space. Smaller varieties such as Jack-Be-Little can be trained to climb a support structure, reducing space requirements. Recommended varieties for our area include Funny Face, Spirit, Spookie, Autumn Gold and Jack-Be-Little.

Plant from 4/16-5/26.

TOMATOES

Because cherry tomatoes produce fruit faster and can be sweeter than their standard-sized counterparts, they may be more desirable for a child's garden. Tomatoes will require physical support. A highly recommended variety for our area is Sweet 100.

Plant from 4/16-5/26.

Next Month: plants with pizzazz for flower gardens

Note: Varieties recommended are those tested and approved for our area by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

REMEMBER...

• Relax and keep it fun: The gardening fairy doesn't care whether the rows are straight or the beds perfectly weeded.
• Keep gardening discovery-oriented: Take advantage of your child's inherent sense of curiosity and the unlimited opportunities to extend the learning process.
• Let the tots call the shots in their plots: It is the process, that counts.
• Work with children: Simply explain and clearly demonstrate a task.
• Encourage your child's efforts with positively phrased constructive comments.
• There is no one right way to garden.
• Immerse yourself in the wonder, learning and adventure of the garden.

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