The garden can be a magical place for children. Learn more about the Kid’s First Garden Bed and worm composter from Vego Garden in this review.
My daughter is almost six, and has watched me garden since she could toddle. My son, who is four, is deep into boyhood – and is a worm lover. They both love to play outside in the garden year round. This summer is the prefect time to set up the Kid’s First Garden Bed and a worm composter from Vego Garden for them to enjoy.
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My daughter picked out this raised bed for her garden, in the color pearl white. Her dad assembled the bed, and she and I set out to the local nursery to select plants. Although it almost July and well into the growing season, it still is not too late to plant a small garden.
She selected a mixture of herbs, vegetables and flowers. As I talked about it my post about growing bush beans in my new Vego garden bed, we checked to make sure that the plants she selected are all good companions to each other. Here is the list of plants she purchased:
We placed my daughter’s garden right next to my newest raised bed. A few of her plants are perennial, so this garden is filled using layers of cardboard, compost and garden soil. I love the Hugelkultur method, and have used it for filling my raised garden beds. However, with this method, the lower layers break down and settle, which means that soil must be added back into the top of the bed each year. That doesn’t work well with plants that come back year after year.
My son’s worm composter (with the green lid) got popped into the garden while we added the garden soil.
My girl enjoyed placing the plants, digging the soil and watering them. Since this initial planting, she checks the garden daily. It’s been fun watching her learn how to deadhead the petunias. She’s looking forward to using the parsley, Swiss chard and eggplant in meals this summer.
My son doesn’t show much interest in gardening, beyond loving to dig in the soil and eat the spoils of our work. He is interested, however, in finding worms! We followed the directions for installing this Vego worm composter in his sister’s new garden bed. I purchased worms from the fishing bait section of our local superstore, making sure to procure the recommended quantity of 200 worms.
He loves to pop open the lid and check on his worms whenever we spend time outside. He also adds kitchen scraps to the top of the composter occasionally. Vego recommends the following tips for this worm farm:
Bury the composter 11-inches deep and fill it only about 5-gallons full, so the small holes in the top are exposed for crucial air circulation and odor control. Mound the soil at the site of the composter, so that it is elevated above the rest of the bed. Use 2-3 composters in larger beds to create enough worm castings.
When we moved into our home four years ago, there were no gardens or plantings. In fact, the previous owner had ripped out almost everything that was growing, and filled in the garden beds with pea gravel. Faced with a blank slate for creating my gardens, I researched raised garden beds. I’d also appreciated how tidy they make a garden. I came across the company Vego Gardens. After making my first purchase from them several years ago, I have added at least one new raised bed garden every year. I’m pleased that this year’s garden additions include something for my children.
I hope that my children appreciate that the food on our table doesn’t just magically appear in a cooler at the store. Like with the meat in our freezer, I hope that my kids understand the work and sacrifice that goes into creating a nourishing meal. And, the satisfaction that comes from playing in the dirt! There is truly magic in planting seeds and small plants, and watching them grow into something magnificent.
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
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