Seattle Tilth cultivates kids' interest in gardening

Even slightly warm spring days in Seattle make children eager to get outside and run around, and the budding and blooming and greening of our neighborhoods captivates the interest of those who are closest to the ground.

Since nothing seems to symbolize childhood more than getting dirty, now is the time to start planning ways to make the most of your kids' playtime by showing them how to work in the garden.

No one believes more in cultivating cultivation in children than the enthusiasts at Seattle Tilth. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting sustainable gardens in our area, and they have a host of programs to teach and inspire Seattle residents to make the most of their yards. From their extremely handy garden hotline to their composting workshops and plant sales, Seattle Tilth engages all kinds of gardeners, and their Children's Garden is no exception.

From spring through fall, the staff and volunteers in the Children's Garden, located in Wallingford at the Good Shepherd Center, show children ages 1 and older how to see, smell, taste, work and simply be in the garden. Four days a week, children's program manager Lisa Taylor leads groups of preschool and elementary students on tours that involve kids in every aspect of the gardening cycle.

Between these visiting groups and the children who attend Tilth's summer camp programs, little hands do almost all of the labor involved in the upkeep of this garden, from digging and planting to weeding and harvesting.

We were able to stop by the same day that students from West Seattle's Hope Lutheran Preschool were touring the garden. From the time they arrived and were introduced in a circle to Taylor and her assistants, the children were captivated. The young students were encouraged to use all of their senses to experience the garden, and they excitedly shared their favorite garden activities: "I like to look at the flowers!" "I like to plant seeds!" After gently being told the rules of the garden, such as how to carefully pick leaves and flowers, the children were out to explore all the colors, smells and tastes they could find there.

Upon tasting the leaves of sweet cicely, some children enthused about the licorice flavor while others scrunched their noses and spat it out. Taylor laughed and applauded them all for being brave enough to try something new, and with each new plant, the group seemed more interested. After a stop in the greenhouse to look at the worms in the compost, the class headed back out to plant peas, whispering words of encouragement to their plants-to-be as they patted the soil.

For this group of mostly 4-year-olds, the tour was more exploratory than explicitly educational, and that seems to be the guiding philosophy of the children's program. "I really like to let the children lead," Taylor says.

In addition to school tours and summer camps, Seattle Tilth has Monday morning programs for parents and their kids ages 2 to 5, which have themes such as "Slimy Creatures" or "Flower Fandango." The one-and-a-half-hour programs are $30 ($20 for members), and although the themes may guide the activities, Taylor's philosophy allows for a lot of flex for those times when the slime and the flowers are equally captivating to the participants.

Summer camp options at Seattle Tilth vary from one-day sessions for kids younger than 2 (Peawee Class, $30), to weeklong, half-day sessions for kids from 6 to 10, such as the Zoom, Zoom Zucchini program ($190). Older kids (ages 10 to 14) who are interested in being garden leaders can participate in the Junior Garden Counselor program ($120-$160), which teaches them leadership skills and allows them to help instruct younger kids in the garden.

Whether or not you make it to Seattle Tilth's programs, Taylor encourages families to explore the garden intimately with children, whose attention to the smallest details can reveal things that big people can easily overlook.

There are numerous books that give great ideas on how to start a garden with children, but Taylor also loves to pull out storybooks to build anticipatory excitement about what is going on above and below the soil. Classics such as "The Carrot Seed," by Ruth Krauss, and newer favorites such as "Tops and Bottoms," by Janet Stevens, remind young readers about the special things that happen in the garden.

Whether pulling weeds, planting seeds or simply digging up rocks, there are plenty of activities in the garden for even the smallest children, and gardening as a family is an excellent way to get a solid dose of both work and play. Who knows? Your worm-loving toddler may become a salad-growing master by age 9!

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company