Transform Your Backyard Into A Taco Garden As A Fun Family Activity pick the vegetable or herb he/she wants to plant. This gives them a feeling of ownership over the (NAPSA)—Manyparents across the country are looking for ways to get their children to eat better, get outdoors and be more active. Gar- activity. Some good vegetables to grow include tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, onions, cilantro and dening is a great solution—espe- cially when you grow something cucumbers. Decorate the Garden. Let kids love like a veggie taco garden. When growing a garden with children, it’s important to make sure the activity is an enjoyable kids have fun decorating the taco garden in their own unique way. They can make a veggie taco garden sign, Popsicle stick plant markers and kid-sized garden tunnels, teepees and banners. e Plant in a Pot. If you don’t have room for a garden, consider growing veggies in a container. Choose a large pot—a 20” diame- experience or their attention will wander. According to Charlie Nardozzi, chief horticulturist for the National Gardening Association and Chief Gardening Officer con- sultant for Hilton Garden Inn’, there’s no better way to make the garden exciting and meaningful for kids than to grow a familiar food. Nardozzi knowsfirsthand how kids of all ages love digging in soil, and the important life lessons learned when planting, nurturing, harvesting and eating what you grow. Throughout the year, Nardozzi leads young students in gar- dening exercises through his hotel’s Grow A School Garden pro- gram. Through the community outreach, hotel team members from the United States, Canada and Mexico work with local stu- dents to grow vegetables and herbs indoors in “Grow Labs” or Ps gy . “al Horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi has learned that there’s no better way to make a garden exciting for kids than for them to grow a familiar food. “And it’s a great way for families to come together over a common project and reap the rewards with a fun meal.” Nardozzi offers the following tips for growing a veggie taco gar- den at homeorschool: Give Kids Appropriate Tasks. Young toddlers can help encourage kids to spend time out- plant seeds while older children can choose what to grow, plant the transplants, water plants, deco- comes from and how to care for harvest. outdoors on the school grounds. “Gardening is a great way to doors, learn about where food the environment and get some physical activity,” says Nardozzi. rate the garden andhelp with the Grow What Kids Want. Make sure that each child gets to ter works best—and arrange the plants so the tallest plants such as tomatoes and peppers are in the center and the low-growing ones such as lettuce and cucumbers are along the edge. Plant Indoors. If you can’t grow plants outdoors, consider setting up grow lights indoors to grow lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, radishes andscallions. Harvest and Enjoy. In about two months, kids can harvest the vegetables and herbs. For a fun dinner idea, get the entire family together to enjoy your homegrownveggie tacos. For more ideas on gardening with children, visit www.kidsgar dening.com or www.garden.org and to find out more about the “Grow A School Garden” program, visit www.StayHGI.com.
