Our chocolate mint lasted about 18 months before it was sampled too many times and couldn’t photosynthesize enough to keep going. Alas, Sofie still looks at that empty pot on the windowsill and asks about her chocolate mint.

Last weekend we bought two mint plants – a sweet mint (yes, the aggressive type that we all know/fear) and a chocolate mint. I dug while Sofie planted these herbs in Earth Boxes. Gardening with plants that arouse the senses – in this case, touch, smell and taste – is a great way to get kids of any age interested in gardening. Just make sure that the plants that you choose are safe to ingest – kids can’t help wanting to eat what they plant – and that they have no allergies to what is selected.

Mint leaves are rather course, fragrant, and of course edible. And, mints are really pretty tough, as long as your little one(s) don’t eat ALL of the leaves. Try this or another herb in a pot if you don’t have outdoor planting space. All it takes is some regular watering and some sunshine to get your little gardener going.

My work at Openlands intersects with my family and passion for gardening. This condensed research report shows just how important playing and being outdoors are for the health of our children. From my perspective, here are The Dirt Report highlights:

• Exposure to dirt and pathogens at a young age increases the strength of immune systems and decreases adult health issues.
• Bacteria found in soil activates serotonin release in the brain, making us all happier.
• When children are too clean they are more likely to have allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases.

I think this means it is time to make a play date with our kids and the outdoors. Let’s get dirty!

Reusing takeout dishes from our friends at Nana, I poked holes into the bottom of the container. These lidded containers are great for keeping in moisture while seeds are germinating. Once they germinate you can simply lift up the lid or remove it altogether – and try to remember where you put it for the next time you want to start seeds!

After that, it was time for my daughter to pitch in. She poured the water into the seed starting mix, used her hands to distribute the moisture. Those same two and a half year old hands moved the soil into the containers. I threw an old towel (see photo) under the bucket and container in an attempt to make cleanup easier. I shook the soil out in the backyard afterward.

Sofie lost interest after this, so I planted the seeds myself and put the cover on to lock in the moisture. These flower seeds take longer to germinate that vegetable seeds, so we’ll be checking on the seeds daily to see if anything is sprouting. After that, to the grow light they go!

Back to our current weather…while we are certainly far from a safe frost-free date even if we will have a week of upper 50s to 70 degrees, many plants tolerate the cold and often a frost. The spinach, swiss chard and peas are ready to plant. So are safe annual flowers like pansies. Don’t be in a rush to plant your annuals (vegetables or flowers) any sooner than usual. They need warm soils to thrive!

My daughter and I planted some pansies today one per pot knowing that they’ll fill up most of that space eventually. We bought the pansies from Grand Street Gardens – now Christy Webber Landscapes Farm & Garden Center –   at the Green Metropolis Fair. My daughter did a great job planting her first annual now that she is totally capable of doing so at two and a half. See some photos, here.

Do you garden with your child(ren)? Please share your tips with us!

March means that some seeds like peas, spinach and swiss chard can’t wait to get in the ground as long as it isn’t frozen or too wet. My daughter and I planted ours in the raised bed in front of our house earlier this week. I sowed seeds while my two and a half year old watered and dug for worms by the still-green parsley. We’re a good work team.

Before you start sowing seeds directly in the ground, though, it is ideal to aerate your soil and add nutrients. Aeration should be done with soil that is on the dry side – wet soil will lose its structure if manipulated much. Adding in organic material and critical nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, etc. will start your seeds and seedlings off to a great start. Remember – annual plants are heavy feeders and need semi-annual nutrient additions.

Tell me what you’ve started directly outdoors already.

This year, I am taking a few steps back. Which is to say that I won’t be starting seeds indoors under grow lights next month. Some of this is due to logistics (visiting family in Arizona at the end of March/beginning of April when intense watering is needed) but really I am just owning what I do well and what I could stand to get some support on.  And, I am being aware of all that is available to purchase these days.

Last year was my best year of eggplant and sweet pepper production despite the hail that nearly decimated the garden the first of July. It turns out that I have some things to learn about routine care of these heavy feeding vegetables. But I also think our transplants aren’t the healthiest they could be for some reason either. So this year I ordered hot peppers, sweet peppers and eggplant from Cooks Garden. They have a pretty robust variety of organically grown seedlings – including my favorite eggplant, India Paint, and I don’t have to sacrifice anything aside from a few extra dollars in cost.

In Chicago, we are pretty lucky. We have farmer’s markets, fairs, greenhouses and garden centers that offer quite a variety of organic and heirloom seedling varieties. There is such an interest in supporting these types of plant that the market is simply responding. If you have the means to shop at somewhere outside of the big box stores for your annual vegetables, do so this year. The options may surprise you.

Stay tuned to hear more about my adventures in mail order seedling purchasing!

Jaime

One of my new year’s resolutions this year – hey, it’s never too late and it’s not even Chinese new year yet – is to update ZapGardens.com at least once a month. I have been terribly derelict since being consumed by motherhood, maintaining a full-time career and expanding our garden!

A garden, be it a vegetable or perennial bed, bonsai or landscape scale, inspires each of us in contact with it. There have been numerous posts already this year focused on new year’s resolutions just for the garden: see Gardeners.com and American Community Gardening Association, read “a message from Beth Urban”.

So instead of writing my own litany of garden resolutions aside from writing here, I’d love to hear from YOU. What are YOU planning to do differently in your garden this year?

Here’s to a great year in the garden in 2012,

Jaime