Tips on making the most of the garden in the summer holidays

Summer break marks the annual scramble to find activities for occupying kids that don't involve too many hours spent in front of a screen.

If you didn’t know already, gardening is an excellent way for kids to spend time outdoors this summer. Not only does it mean they spend more time in the fresh air, but it can also promote healthy eating, encourage responsibility, and it’s an inexpensive yet fun activity. Here are our top tips on motivating kids to switch an iPad for trowel!

Letting your kids choose what to plant is a great place to start. They can choose whatever piques their interest, whether it’s brightly coloured flowers or easy-to-grow varieties such as tomatoes or peas. They’ll be much more involved and invested in nurturing their personally picked plants.

Think about starting with plants that provide quick results, such as cress or radish seeds. These seeds can germinate within a few days, and your kids might respond better to plants that grow quickly. Some other low-maintenance plants include lettuce, carrots, and peas.

Allocating each child their own space gives them a sense of responsibility. It can make gardening more exciting when they have an appropriately sized plot for them to easily manage.

It can also encourage some friendly competition between kids (or parents!) which is a great way to keep them invested.

Gifting kids their own set of tiny tools is an inexpensive way to get children excited about gardening whilst fulfilling the safety factor. They are lightweight and easy to handle, which makes it perfect for their smaller green fingers.

By having their own set, it can also give them a sense of ownership and independence. They’ll be more excited to get digging!

Gardening isn’t always about precision and neat presentation. Letting your kids get their hands dirty in the soil encourages sensory development as they get to feel the different textures, and smell the varied scents of the garden. The high mess factor of digging and working with soil is generally the most fun part of gardening and is also what children love most about the outdoors.

Inevitably, kids will sometimes forget to look after their newly planted seedlings. But with an Irrigatia system on standby, we can provide weather-responsive SMART irrigation without needing electricity or taps.

Our systems uniquely use solar power to detect the weather and alter watering according to weather conditions. It requires minimal supervision which makes it the perfect backup plan for when the kids forget to water their prized plants. It’s a win-win for everyone!

When plants are close to picking time, grazing from the plot is instant gratification for kids. They get to sample their hard work which makes gardening much more exciting and rewarding for them.

Using home-grown fruits and vegetables in meals can also encourage healthy-eating and it’s an effective method for getting picky eaters to have their ‘five-a-day’.

Take a look at our latest blogs for more gardening tips and ways to save time and water this spring and summer.

Remember to follow our social media channels to keep up to date with our latest growing journeys in the Irrigatia garden!