Gardens should be fun for all ages

Making a garden fun for family members of all ages can get young ones interested in gardening at an early age, according to reports.

The Courier and Press reports that by involving children in gardening projects that are interesting and fun, they can become green-fingered for life.

"Gardening provides children with a connection to the earth and where their food comes from," said Lisa Beach, volunteer manager at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, according to the newspaper.

One tip offered by Corina Bullock, who has worked at the Pendleton Childrens Garden in Cincinnati, is to get kids to plant their own alphabet garden.

For this, seeds that germinate quickly can be used and are laid out in the shape of letters to spell someones name. After a couple of days, the seeds begin to grow, bringing an element of fun to gardening.

The BBC advises activities such as a bug study – where children and parents catch and draw pictures of insects – as among the fun projects to get children interested in the garden.