Kids and Gardening

I know why many people wait to become empty nesters before they take up a gardening hobby.  Kids just plain make gardening difficult.  First, babies leave no time for gardening at all.  You can try to bring the baby out into the garden with you but they get hot or cold, or bugs bite them.  So your only option is to have Daddy watch him while you sneak a few hours out pulling the weeds that are threatening to overtake everything.

Then the babies become toddlers and you think that finally you'll be able to really spend some time in your neglected perennial beds but you find yourself chasing the kid around the house or fixing this or that toy.  And they still demand food, drinks and a change of clothes after playing with your garden hose.

And with older kids you are picking baseballs out of your tomato plants, lamenting the crushing of a prized columbine from a wayward soccer ball and finding bike tracks crossing the border of daffodils.

But the kids love to help plant seeds and pick tomatoes and they bring you bouquets of dandelions.  So, I guess they're worth it.