Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 11, 1994                   TAG: 9403140078
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN                    PAGE: 15   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GETTING KIDS READY TO DIG THE DIRT

A corner of the family garden could be turned over to children to let them cultivate with their own crops.

Or, as the Virginia Tech Extension Service suggests, a small plot away from the family garden could be set aside for the children to have their own private garden. This is a popular project of 4-H clubs.

Child-size garden implements are available at most hardware and garden stores so the youngsters can have tools sized for their strength.

There are a number of plants, both vegetables and flowers, that would be suitable for children to grow.

Any of the plants that grow quickly and with a minimum of care would be suitable.

Several tomato plants, a short row of radishes, a few bush beans, summer squash, cucumber and peas would grow easily and give children a sense of accomplishment.

Two or three corn stalks would add a dramatic appearance to a child's garden, also.

Hastings, a seed supplier based in Atlanta, has special kits for a child's garden.

It offers a "kinder-garden," which is a plastic planting mat divided into 16 sections so the crops can be kept separate.

The mat is placed on the soil and small holes are punched in the plastic so seeds can be pushed through the plastic into the soil.

Each section is illustrated with the vegetable or flower that is to be planted there.

The kit, which costs about $17.95, comes with 13 packets of seeds.

Also from Hastings, and designed especially for children, are vegiform molds. These are fun shapes that can be placed over a young fruit in the garden to make it grow into a funny image.

There is a happy face and a sour face and a garden elf.

The molds are said to be suitable on squash, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, melons and gourds.

Hastings also offers for children a butterfly box, an ant farm, a nature experiment kit and educational books.

All can be ordered through the company's catalog.

Hastings can be reached at 1036 White St., SW, Atlanta.

It a child's interest is in flowers, daisies, pansies and sunflowers are three that would be suitable for a child-sized garden.

The Virginia Tech Extension Service said a number of other flowers also would be suitable, including dianthus, Job's tears and bleeding heart.

Also, sweet pea would be a colorful and sweet-smelling flower that would delight children. But this is a cool-weather plant that must be planted early, about February in most western Virginia locations.

The Extension Service said a nature lesson can be taught when a child plants seeds and watches them grow.