With the arrival of school holidays and good weather, this is the perfect time to promote a passion for the outdoors in children. The cool wet month of May has resulted in a late growing season, which means there is still plenty of time to start growing flowers and vegetables.
As a result it is not too late to encourage younger members of the family to develop an interest in gardening. “The trick is to start small”, says Paddy Cunningham of Dangan House Nurseries. “The concept of tackling a whole garden can be very daunting to an adult, never mind to a child. Allocate a small piece of space, maybe around the size of the kitchen table, and get them planting a wide variety of vegetables and flowers.”
The availability of bedding plants and vegetable plants which have been grown locally by staff at Dangan House gives young gardeners a head start. These plants have already been locally hardened off, and will thrive in local gardens.
The move to growing vegetables at home has increased substantially this year with demand for vegetable plants more than doubling since last year, according to Dangan Nurseries. “It is more important than ever in these uncertain times that the skills involved in growing vegetables are passed on to the next generation” says Cunningham.
Organics has been a relatively obscure area of interest but over the past decade has gained popularity. This is much to do with the availability of organic seeds, compost, soil enricher, fertilizers, and many organic pest control methods. A full range of organic products is available at Dangan House Nurseries. A trip to the nurseries is particularly interesting for young visitors with newly hatched chicks, hens, budgies, and guinea pigs.
There are special offers every week in both the nursery and garden shop, staff are all fully trained and are happy to give advice to help children plan their mini gardens.
