Youngsters can dig it (From Worcester News)

Youngsters can dig it

11:12am Monday 22nd August 2011 in Gardening

WHILE many of us will be sunning ourselves abroad this summer, TV gardener Chris Beardshaw will be out in the garden with his three daughters, sowing, digging and insecthunting.

The award-winning garden designer and broadcaster says the long school summer holidays are an ideal time to introduce children to the wonders of the garden and make them more ecologically aware.

Beardshaw was born near Worcester and was a lecturer at Pershore College of Horiculture.

He runs his own design business, gives talks and lectures around Britain and works with schools to facilitate outdoor landscapes and runs his own mentoring scholarship. He will be spending time at his Gloucestershire home to encourage his children to get their hands dirty.

He said: “Some things are straightforward such as sowing seeds of short-term crops such as lettuces and rocket which will be cropping before the end of the summer holidays, but it’s also good to sow things that are more long term. We’ve planted apple trees and are anticipating our first crop of apples.

“One of the things that stimulate children is the way in which the floral elements of the garden attract organisms such as bees, butterflies and other insects. Of course it’s great to explain the way in which different insects are attracted to different flowers.

“Try to get the children to understand that the shape of the flower is largely going to dictate the type of insect that’s going to be visiting. Tubular flowers tend to attract insects with long tongues, such as long-tongued bees, butterflies and moths.

“The flatter flowers from the daisy family, such as echinacea, are much better for shorter-tongued insects such as the honey bee.”

For a bit of fun, you can buy online a listening device for bats, which are likely to be in the neighbourhood harvesting midges and moths on the wing at night.

Beardshaw said: “To bring the garden to life at night is extraordinary. We had a lovely moon last night and ventured out before the kids went to bed and just stood and listened to what was going on.

“We sowed all of last year's seed which hadn't been previously sown, all mixed together, in one redundant area of the garden and harvested the leaves – nasturtiums, carrots and bulls blood beet leaf can all be cut and used as a quick salad crop within four to six weeks. And there’s nothing wrong with letting those crops grow on to harvest young vegetables.

“Sowing has traditionally been thought of as a spring activity, but there's no reason why you can't sow all year round, using the tops of lemonade bottles or cloches to protect young seedlings.”

Beardshaw, who is involved with a variety of schools’ initiatives, says the number of children becoming involved in gardening is on the rise because of an increased awareness through schools and everyday reading matter which points to the importance of five-aday and food sources. Garden shows often have points of interest for children, such as the Chester Zoo garden at the recent RHS Tatton Park show in Cheshire, which was based on a dinosaur theme complete with a model dinosaur, along with four footballthemed gardens.

He said: “Many more schools are getting involved in using their external environment as a green classroom. For a relatively modest investment, you get a huge return in school gardens.

“When I was a child I was told that it was only remedial students who studied horticulture and gardening. How things have changed.”