Garden Supplies: Make a List

The garden season is close to beginning. Have you made a list? If you have then it’s a good start. But is everything you need to start the garden season on that list? Here are some kid friendly garden supplies that should be on every kid gardener’s list.

Pruners

Garden pruners are like scissors. They are needed to cut branches back and even harvest fruit and produce. There are different sizes from the smallest to larger branch pruners often called shears.

A sturdy strong set of garden pruners is best. You also might want to consider the grip. Have the kids check out the grip before buying to make sure it fits their hands.

Garden Rake

A garden rake is a great clean up tool. It can also be great for sifting out rocks in a freshly tilled garden bed.

Not all garden rakes are created alike. You have to find one you like and one that you can grip and use. There are several different types of rakes. There is a stiff rake, the kind used mostly in the garden. This usually has a horizontal set of teeth that aren’t retractable and flexible. This makes them strong and gives them the ability to be used to scrape the surface of the garden bed to remove rocks and other debris. A lawn and leaf rake is usually a flexible rake that can be retractable. It is used mainly for cleaning up leaves in the fall.

Trowel

Sometimes called a shovel, this little dandy of an item makes a child’s gardening experience a little easier. It has a versatile use. It can be used in almost every phase of the garden from transplanting to weeding to harvest time.

Garden Gloves

A good pair of garden gloves is good for those tough to tackle jobs such as rose handling, thorn bush picking and other jobs that could require covering up the hands in some sort of protection.

Certain plants give off chemicals that could be irritating to the skin. These could include, but isn’t limited to, the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers and potatoes), onions and some herbs. Wearing garden gloves can help protect a child from these irritations.

While some home and garden stores may carry kid sized gloves more likely they only have adult size. But luckily the women’s garden gloves are more likely to carry a smaller size and possibly neutral colors if necessary.

Find gloves that fit snugly but do not constrict movement too much. You want the hand to be able to move freely and breath correctly.

Seeds

You can’t have a garden with the plants, right? You can’t have plants without seeds. Sure, you can buy plants already to transplant. But starting with seeds can be more rewarding and cost efficient.

So buy a few seeds and start the garden today.

Soil

The right soil make the difference between a mediocre garden harvest and a great harvest. There are many types of soil including germinating mixes to start seeds to top soil. Choosing the right soil can be daunting. Just read the instructions on each type to see what is best for your garden.

Garden Journal

While a garden journal isn’t an absolute necessity it can help the kid gardener in future gardening endeavors. A child can put down his or her thoughts on the garden, experiences and even make the garden supply list in the journal.

You can either make the garden journal or buy it. Regardless of where you obtain the garden journal it’s a must for long term kid gardeners.

Time and Patience

You can’t buy time or patience but they are a necessary part of the garden. It takes time to grow fruit. It takes time to watch tomatoes go from sprout to plant to setting those beautiful red fruits we love to harvest and eat. With a little patience we can have a wonderful garden experience with our children.

-Katina Mooneyham

Katina Mooneyham is a freelance writer from central Ohio. She is a full time stay at home mother homeschooling her two children. Katina likes to read, hike, take nature walks, write and garden. Teaching her kids about gardening is a big priority.