Garden plan and journal: Daydream and draw your 2021 garden. Give your child some seed catalogues, a notebook and glue stick and have your child make a 2021 Garden Plan Journal.

Plant outside: Peas and radishes are a great pair to plant with kids. Pea seeds are big, making them easy for little hands to hold, and the plants do not require thinning. Radishes produce quickly so they’re a great choice for children who are eager to pull a harvest. Remember to add a trellis for the peas to climb so you can find the pea pods.

Plant inside: Start seeds indoors with children for transplant to the garden later. Lettuce, basil, tomatoes, nasturtium and cosmos are good ones to start now, early in the season. Wait on beans, squash and root vegetable seeds, as those will grow best directly sowed into soil after the danger of frost has passed.

Prepare your gardening space: Now is the perfect time to have your child rake out garden beds, clean out garden pots and add compost or top-dress to the soil.

Make Labels: Labeling what you grow is so important, and if you put some effort into it, your garden signs can be a showpiece in your early season garden. Children can use rocks, old boards or used water bottles to paint labels for the garden. Be sure to use acrylic paint so the labels withstand Maine weather.

Source: Stephanie McDonough, president, CEO and Farmer at Farm to Table Kids, a Yarmouth-based nonprofit that, according to its mission statement, works “to inspire children & families in kitchens and gardens through happy, hands-on learning experiences.”

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