Growing gardeners

The best thing you can grow might not be a vegetable

By Bre Harris, Ottertail Co. Master Gardener

Children don’t see gardens the way adults do—and I think that’s exactly why they’re such wonderful gardeners. 

We see weeds that need pulling, tomatoes that need staking, and pests that need to be managed. Kids see strange insects, colorful flowers, funny-shaped vegetables, and dirt that begs to be dug in. They aren’t worried about having the perfect garden—they’re simply excited to discover what’s growing there.

I’ve learned that some of the best moments in our garden haven’t been the biggest harvests.

They’ve been watching my son proudly call me over to see the “longest worm in the entire universe!” or my stepdaughter squealing while holding one, only to realize, “Hey, this isn’t too bad.” They’ve been getting out the tape measure to see if we beat last year’s record for the world’s tallest sunflower in OUR yard. I’m happy to report we did! At the time of writing, it stands just over 16 feet tall—more than a foot taller than last year’s record. 

Each year, both kids get a small raised planter where they can grow almost anything they want. The only requirement is that it’s something attainable—and that it’s theirs to care for. This year, my son chose broccoli and yellow and purple flowers (I have a suspicion my Vikings-loving dad had something to do with that color choice). Did the broccoli produce giant, beautiful heads? Not exactly. But every afternoon after school he ran downstairs to check on them. He watched tiny seedlings become real plants and took responsibility for them. In my book, that’s a successful crop. The Johnny-jump-ups added a cheerful splash of color right alongside it.

My stepdaughter had a different vision. She wanted green flowers. Not flowers with green leaves—actual green flowers. So together we searched until we found green zinnias to grow. Were they the flowers I would have chosen? Probably not. But that’s the point. When children get to make some of the decisions, they become invested in what they’re growing.

You don’t need a large garden to raise a young gardener. A single pot of cherry tomatoes on the patio, a row of sunflowers, or one small raised bed can be enough. Give kids their own hand trowel and a watering can they can carry and put their stickers on. Let them choose what they want to grow, and they’ll almost always surprise you with their choices—and that’s part of the fun.

Those little choices matter more than we sometimes realize. Research has consistently shown that children who help grow fruits and vegetables are more willing to try them and often develop healthier eating habits. Giving children ownership—even over one small corner of the garden—turns gardening from something they’re asked to do into something they genuinely care about.

Gardening also teaches lessons that are harder to measure. Studies have found that spending time in the garden helps children build confidence, responsibility, and a stronger connection to the natural world. As they care for plants, dig in the soil, and watch insects at work, they’re learning to observe, ask questions, and understand that every living thing has a role to play.

Of course, not every gardening experience is a success—and that’s okay. Seeds don’t always sprout. Rabbits occasionally discover the lettuce before we do. Sometimes a plant simply doesn’t thrive. Those disappointments become opportunities to ask questions, try something different, and learn that gardening is just as much about patience as it is about harvesting.

As adults, it’s easy to focus on growing the biggest tomatoes or the prettiest flower beds. But when children are involved, I think the real goal is a little different. We’re growing confidence and curiosity. We’re helping children discover that food doesn’t simply appear at the grocery store and that flowers do more than decorate a garden—they feed bees, butterflies, and countless other pollinators.

If there’s one piece of advice I’d offer, it’s this: let kids slow you down. Stop to look at the caterpillar they found and wonder together what plant it might like to munch on. See if you can find the bumble bee just by listening for it, then watch it move from flower to flower and talk about what it’s doing. Dig up the earthworm they insist on showing you and let it wiggle around in your hand while you wonder together what jobs it might be doing beneath your feet. Those moments may not check anything off your gardening to-do list, but they’re often the moments that make children want to come back out to the garden again and again.

Years from now, my kids probably won’t remember how many tomatoes we harvested or whether the carrots grew perfectly straight. But I know they’ll remember that they had their own shovel, chose their own flowers, and spent summer afternoons getting their hands dirty.

The garden has a way of slowing us down just enough to notice things we would have otherwise walked past, and when we let children lead that exploration, we often end up seeing those things for the first time ourselves.

The cucumbers will eventually be picked. The flowers will fade, and the garden will settle in for another winter. But the curiosity planted beside them is something they will carry with them forever.