Spring is fast approaching and I wanted to explore the joys of growing with children.

As I have mentioned before, kids love to be involved and get their hands on the ‘doing’ of life. Truly there is no better way to give children a sense of autonomy and responsibility than the growing of plants from seed, and now is the perfect time to prepare to grow your own garden with your little ones.

You can get outdoors and prepare a small plot in which to plant up vegetables, for instance, or you can indeed ‘bring the outdoors in’ by growing houseplants from cuttings. No matter how you do it – or how nervous you may be – why not give it a go?

A perfect nursery for your new plant babies

Begin with simple gardening kits created especially for children, which include all the instructions and enough equipment to get you started. Most seedlings can be brought on in a propagator – a covered base, which protects seeds from the wind and creates a perfect nursery for your new plant babies. Once sprouted, you can then repot into individual pots and watch together as shoots, leaves and eventually flowers emerge.

For primary aged children you may like to make a project of it – taking pictures, drawing, plotting growth on a graph, comparing growing conditions inside and out, in the sun and in the shade. In fact, there are endless ways that the simple acts of sprouting seeds can offer massive educational value to your children, as well as create a bonding experience and, who knows, a new hobby for the future?

Older children and teens are becoming massively environmentally aware, so providing a small plot for growing food could be a great way to nurture their growing interest as well as teach valuable life skills – and who can resist fresh potatoes or carrots straight from the garden for lunch?

Simple root vegetables, salad leaves and green beans on cane frames can be planted and interspersed with pollinator favourites such as nasturtiums, marigolds and sweet peas, to keep the bees – and your socially aware youngsters – happy!

Meanwhile, inside the house there are some great plants which self-propagate, making growing-on a doddle! Money Trees and Spider Plants and Aloe Vera all crate babies that can be repotted, and you will soon have generations of plant babies to decorate your home or even give as gifts!

Aloe Vera is a miracle for burns and scalds

I believe every home should have an Aloe Vera plant, because the gel inside each leaf is a miracle for burns and scalds, plus it speeds healing and acts as a cooling pain relief! It’s medicine on your windowsill and it grows profusely so you will never run out!

What are you waiting for – it’s time to get growing!