Tuesday, June 30, 2015

The many (hidden) benefits of gardening

Most people would consider the benefits of gardening to be: 
eating fresh and organic veggies.

Fair enough.
I get that.
I love fresh produce.

But honestly, 
my main reason to have a garden
(and the reason why I make it bigger every year) is to 
teach our children a few 
life lessons.


First of all,
I believe too many children, teen and even adults,
are plain bored.

Being bored leads to many bad things.
Some of them are 
complaint, judgment and resentment.
***insert here how much you see of this on social media and news***

So my main goal here is to teach our children hard work.


The ground needs to be tilled, trees and plants trimmed.
Teaching them that first thing in the morning is watering the garden,
before the sun is hot and temperature rises.

Lessons like "delayed gratification".
Not everything is instant and microwaveable.

Hard to believe in our place and time.

Plants need to be taken care of and fruits need time to grow.

Patience is a virtue.

That said,
I don't just let my children do the work.
I am out there with them, 
working, sweating and getting dirty alongside.
Teaching them how to prune blackberry bushes and

how to pick tomatoes.
Among many other things.

This is also time that we get to spend together.

We get to talk about life and we get to talk about the bees and the birds.

Gardening does not just last during the warmer months.
This year we started our plants from seeds back in January/February.
We also has a small Winter garden with our homemade hoop house.
Lettuce and spinach grew fine.

And one more life lesson:
not everything that looks dead is dead.

We watched our little fig tree look like 2 brown short sticks in the ground.
We thought we lost it during our cold Winter months.
And then this happened.

Life sprouted from the bottom.
And this little tree came back more beautiful and stronger than ever before.

Family that stay together grow together.
No pun intended.
Ok, maybe I meant that :)

Stay Frugal,
Daniela 

p.s. Come back tomorrow and I will share how to eat these zucchini flowers.
Yes, this dish should be in every Italian restaurant.






9 comments:

Patty said...

Here, here! I love teaching children about gardening. And I think a good many of them out there need to have their hand in it. Life's lessons, indeed! Too many children don't have a clue where their food comes from.

Junkchiccottage said...

Good for you Dani. You are a great role model for your kids. Nothing is better than growing your own fruits and veggies and then getting to eat them. Your kids will not grow up like a lot of kids with that entitlement! Your garden plants look awesome. Have a good 4th.
Kris

NanaDiana said...

I grew up working hard as a child-with an ill father my mother, brother and I ran a dairy farm. I think it was one of the best life lessons ever. The only "problem" is that I feel guilty if I am not doing "something"- I have a hard time relaxing just allowing myself to not be working every moment.
Blessings to you- you are a good mom and your kids will rise up and call you blessed someday- xo Diana

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

So true and so well said. Love the pretty scarecrow.

Our Hopeful Home said...

Kudos! We are doing the same thing this year. My husband planted a very ambitious vegetable garden with the kids and I planted a flower garden with them. Now if we could just get the kids to eat the vegetables!
xoKathleen

Guerrina said...

Completely agree with you! My 5 year old grandson is out with me in the garden every day and has been since he was 3... he loves his time with me as well as seeing the plants grow and bloom. We don't have veggies/fruit this year. Only place that gets enough sun for them is the middle of the front yard and that's not the curb appeal I want! Once a couple/few trees come down (someday), we'll have veggies/fruit!

Kelly said...

Oh, I'm coming to your house this summer! You've got some good food growing there. I'd love to have my very own peach tree. We should have one in every yard here in GA too! LOL! That's certainly the name of every street around here. I think it's great that your kids enjoy spending time with you in the garden. It probably makes them look forward to eating it knowing that y'all grew it yourself!

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Daniela,
You deserve a BIG hug girl! What a wonderful and loving Mama you are to your children by teaching them so much about life itself. Indeed, families that stay together 'grow' together and this is perfect bonding that will last till the grave.
Observing things grow and being outdoors in nature is the most satisfying thing one can do. Nothing can ever replace that and one never appreciates a shower and clean, fresh clothes more after having been all dirty and sweaty!
Go girl, your life's Marathon about teaching love and growth in many forms will reap its fruits; no doubt!
Hugs,
Mariette

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

That was a beautiful post and really, if I had children, gardening is something I'd love to share with them for all those reasons yu mentionned.