Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.
The much-loved children's classic The Secret Garden, written in the early 1900s by Frances Hodgson Burnett, had an early grasp of the benefits of getting kids into the garden. In it a sullen young girl and a sickly boy find health and happiness through thinking positively and plenty of weeding and digging.
Today, with the causes of childhood obesity being lack of exercise and unhealthy eating, children still have much to gain from weeding, digging and perhaps learning how to grow vegetables. They might even have fun.
If, however, the only greenery your children want to see is the colour of the pitch on Play Station's FIFA 08 or the lurid Dorothy The Dinosaur on TV, you might have to do more than open the back door and push them out.
Chances are you'll find it easier to inspire the children if gardening is your thing. Some parents, though, may not have been taught the basics as children and others may be restricted by time and circumstance.
One way around this is to enlist the experts. "We think it's really important to teach the children as well as the adults," says Trish Brown, general manager of Eden Gardens centre at North Ryde. Gardening is an activity many children are not learning naturally, she says. The popularity of the centre's school holiday programs is due to this and the fact many families now have "smaller backyards and less space". (See www.edengardens.com.au or phone 9491 9900. Check with your local garden centre for its kids' programs.)
Sue Collins and Valerie Maguire, who have five children between them, identified kids' gardening as a gap in the market and just over a year ago established their online business Clever Little Gardeners. They organise delivery of seasonal plant packages (including craft projects, seeds, laminated instruction cards and recipes) that aim to make it easier for parents, grandparents and carers to spend "educational and fun time with a child" outdoors. (See www.cleverlittlegardeners.com or phone 8001 6241.)
Of course, it is more than possible to go it alone - and all that costs is your time. Landscape architect and television presenter Brendan Moar believes there are many ways to help get kids hooked on the garden: "A good starting point is to observe what they like to do when they're in a garden or at a park. Do they like to play around water, for instance; do they like digging or exploring; do they like getting dirty?
"You can then incorporate those opportunities into your own backyard design. Most kids tend to love rocks, paths and secret hiding places. They far prefer nooks and crannies to the minimalist look, so you want a garden that invites them to explore and creates a sense of mystery."
Moar advises parents to choose plants that stimulate the senses, such as sweet pea, honeysuckle, jasmine and daisies. He also recommends planting sunflowers, getting the kids to help with pruning or weeding and giving them responsibility for their own plant bed.
Parents short of garden space needn't feel their kids miss out, Moar says. "Courtyards and balconies can still be stimulating places. Consider growing vegies or herbs in pots. Try peas, cherry tomatoes and strawberries; they'll be far more attentive gardeners if they are growing things they like to eat." A good design idea for a small space, he adds, is a boxed-in sandpit. "Adults can throw on a cushion and use it as a seat when the kids aren't around."
Jamie Durie, landscape designer and television presenter, thinks the secret is to get everyone involved. "Planting a tree, turning the compost or searching for insects, frogs or flowers in bloom are activities the whole family can enjoy," he says. "If approached with the right element of fun and adventure, it's a great way to nourish relationships as well as to encourage learning."
He believes it's essential to encourage kids to garden: "When kids spend time outdoors exploring and discovering the natural world, they learn to use their imagination and creativity, develop their motor skills and common sense, and have fun."
Durie recommends visiting parks and becoming involved in community gardens for those with little space (see www.community garden.com.au). He has this advice for parents of older children and teenagers: "Continue to inspire them by providing opportunities to develop their interests. Activities like designing and building a tree house for them to hang out in or for the younger kids to play in, building and maintaining their own vegie plot, creating a garden sculpture or going for a bush walk."
The online Better Health Channel has plenty of information on gardening with children, including safety guidelines (see www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au and click on Gardening And Health, under Healthy Eating). It also has a link to Parent's Primer at www.kidsgardening.com, a series with wonderful tips such as: "Relax your standards. Crooked rows (of seedlings) or weeds as pets are fine."
Bulleen Art and Garden centre lists activities for children of different ages (www.baag.com.au/kids.html) and online magazine Global Garden has a children's section (www.global-garden.com.au/garden kids.htm) that includes easy-to-follow instructions on how to make your own miniature secret garden.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, a keen gardener and mother of two, would be pleased.
