Gardening is a fun activity for even the youngest children: CBC columnist

Gardening is a pastime that is popular with many adults, but it's great for kids, too, says CBC gardening columnist Lyndon Penner.

"I think it's absolutely essential that we include children in our gardening," Penner said in an interview with Morning Edition host Sheila Coles.

He pointed to a study that showed children in the 1950s could identify dozens of species of native plants. In contrast, the children this decade are much more familiar with corporate logos than plant species.

Gardening is a way to nurture children's minds as it strengthens their bodies, Penner said.

As well, if we are expecting our children to be future stewards of the Earth, they need to learn about the environment somewhere, he said. And the best place to start to do that is in their own backyards.

Certainly, the youngest children will have many questions whether they're hiking or helping a parent with plant shopping.

"It's really fun to say to a kid — you know, when you find a columbine or a lily on the mountain or out in the meadow —and go, 'Hey, you know, you can put that in our garden, we could grow one of those, and it will feed bees and it will feed butterflies.' "

Children are fascinated by the variety of seeds that are available, so this is a good place to start, he said.

"You take a seed and put it in the ground and it grows into something ... that's alchemy, that's magical," Penner said. "That is so much more interesting than anything they're seeing on YouTube or the internet."