Growing with the Garden {Empowering My Kids to Bloom}

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Each year since becoming a mother, my husband and kids have gifted me a garden item. First, a refurbished planter my husband found at the house we moved into, followed by a dwarf peach tree and a lilac bush. Given the trendy gifting, I anticipated what this year would bring.

Unbeknownst to me, my husband and kids came home with a large rectangle box, inside of it, my own greenhouse.

garden

I immediately thought, “Why on Earth did he think this was a good idea? I don’t know what to grow in there!” But quickly, through the labor of putting the frame together late at night with my husband, independently tightening every nut and bolt, and placing and securing every window, I felt empowered. This was my greenhouse. This could be my place. This was a good idea. Little did I know, seeds would start planting inside of me and my children as well…

“I want to plant, mommy!” exclaimed my 4-year-old son.

“I want to plant some beans!” demanded my 3-year-old daughter.

Together we sat with our dirty boots, on the dirty wooden greenhouse floor, planting seeds, as well as vegetable and fruit starters. The kids were proud to name the images on the plant labels: watermelons, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. Questioning what the bare plant was, the opportunity to teach arose. We sat and talked about the green plants and how they all looked alike for now. They worked hard to believe that this little green sprout would one day be a big, juicy watermelon. Meticulously, they filled the pots with dirt and covered the roots like it was their very important job. My controlling nature wanted so badly to take the pots and do it myself but something stopped me this day. Dare I say, this greenhouse may change me…

Every morning after breakfast, we put on our boots, jammies and all, and venture out to “mommy’s house.” Oftentimes, my son gets there first just to check the strawberries. We’ve seen the strawberries at every growing phase and in these phases, we’ve had to learn to wait. We’ve gotten excited about going out and seeing progress just as much as we’ve had to get excited about when the plants are having a bad day. In those moments, we talk about the light and the water that these green babies require.

With determination, my daughter stands at the backdoor at the end of the day to go water them. She mimics me as she gives them a drink and checks their blooms. Even at the little ages of 3 and 4, they’re interested in growing. Through this Mother’s Day gift, I believe in what I’ve been able to give back thus far. We’re not just reaping a harvest of lettuce and fruit right now; we are harvesting skill sets that will help my little ones bloom one day. You don’t need a greenhouse to have this kind of epiphany. You could consider planting flower seeds or your favorite veggie in a small pot, involving your children in the process of tending to its needs and watching it grow.

I promise you, seeds aren’t just being planted in the dirt.