Freaky Family Gardening: A Guide to Garden Ideas for Kids By Jerry A. Chenault, Urban Regional Extension Agent

Gardening is good for kids, but that's not news, or is it? Perhaps we can agree that kids need to learn how to work and gardening is a good outdoor exercise, but how many of us knew that it improves the concept of "self?" It's true! Not only that, but research at the University of Illinois has documented evidence that interaction with plants can do all sorts of good things for young people---even improve their grades (Taylor, Kuo, Sullivan, 2001). Furthermore such research has demonstrated that even passive experiences with nature have proven (time after time) to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, speed healing, decrease violence, and increase life satisfaction.

Sounds like hype, huh? Well, it's true and that's why the Urban Affairs' Extension program Saving Towns Thru Asset Revitalization (STAR) is focusing on people and plant interactions. It makes a huge difference! In fact, STAR uses this information to help towns restore vitality to their commerce and quality of life through programs like "Tree City USA", park renovation, and establishing ecumenical gardens. This program also helps families become more involved with plants, green spaces, and nature in general. How? By growing "freaky vegetables" in a section of your garden or perhaps help your children to start their own garden.

Kids, like adults, often take pride in growing their own vegetables and allowing them to grow unusual veggies can make it more interesting and fun. So much fun they won't even know it's actually good for them! Ornamental gourds may not seem all that freaky, but if you're willing to shop a little for seed, you can find some funky looking specimens! These vegetables are oddly shaped, oddly colored, and funny looking members of the cucurbita family (closely related to squashes and pumpkins). Most of the fancy gourds have long, climbing, or creeping stems and can be grown on a trellis, arbor, fence, or a cage (similar to a tomato cage). Once harvested and washed in mild soap and water, they can be dried for 1-2 months in a warm, dry room with good air circulation. Then they can make great decoration or be made into hanging baskets, dippers, fruit bowls, birdhouses, toys, or used for Christmas decorations. Gourds can even be sold to increase profit, foster an appreciation for work, and produce other worthwhile benefits for youngsters. There's nothing like a jingle in the pocket!

Yard-long beans are also neat vegetable projects. Growing up to 36 inches in length, they can make enough for a meal in a short time! Picked when young and tender, these beans are not only freaky and unusual, but delicious to boot! Remember, these are pole beans and need plenty room to grow.

The Martynia, popularly called the "unicorn plant" is a candidate for "Ripley's "Believe It or Not." Properly called Proboscidea louisianica, its young seed pods are pickled like cucumbers, but its older hairy pods curl up into weird shapes like birds. They're about an inch thick, 4-6 inches long, and become really hard when dried.

The Cucuzzi gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), also known as bottle gourd or calabash is a novelty garden item too. It is a vining, musky-scented plant with edible fruits (when immature at 10 inches long). Their shape varies from straight to coiled and twisted, and they grow like pole beans. So, stand back and give them room!

Other vegetables to consider might be flowering kale, odd-shaped pumpkins, spinach (after watching old "Popeye" cartoons), and sweet potatoes---they are buried treasure!

Give family gardening a try---allow the kids to get involved. It's a winning combination!

Stephens, James. M. (1988). Manual of minor vegetables. Florida Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin SP. 40, University of Florida, 1988.

Dahlen, Martha and Phillips, Karen. (1983). A popular guide to Chinese vegetables. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc.

Gardening With Kids. (2005). Believe it or not. Retrieved September 27, 2005.

Kaplan, Rachel and Kaplan, Stephen. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. UK: Cambridge University Press.