May 30, 2008
Gardening and Young People
Young people love their video games and their text messages, but around my neck of the woods, I am seeing more and more who are developing an interest in gardening. Most of these young gardeners seem interested in vegetable gardening. 
That may surprise some parents who struggle to get their children to eat vegetables, but to me it makes a lot of sense. Young vegetable gardeners know what they're eating when the fruits of their labors wind up on the supper table. It is not something that Mom brought home in a plastic bag from the grocery or farmer’s market. It is something they have nurtured and harvested.
I noticed this first earlier this year at several benefit plant sales that I worked at. At both of these, I met parents shepherding children as young as four as they made vegetable and herb selections. There were teens as well shopping on their own. One young woman had chosen a number of heirloom tomato plants along with several selections of basil. She told me that she had put in a raised bed in the corner of her backyard. Turns out neither of her parents is a gardener, so I and some other Master Gardeners gave her some advice on getting the most from her small garden.
One of my colleagues is a serious container gardener with a wide selection of tomatoes and peppers all in containers on his patio. His assistant is his teenage cousin.
Justin used a rental cement mixer to mix their custom potting soil. He and Mario, my co-worker, set up drip irrigation for each container.
Let me tell you this container garden is going to town. Check out these photos.
My colleague readily acknowledges the container garden is “really Justin’s baby.”
Recently, Justin decided they needed a tumbling composter, but prices for readymade ones were too steep. Did Justin give up on his tumbling composter? Nope, he sent Mario to the store with a parts list and then built it himself.
With Justin and other young people developing a passion for gardening, I am hopeful for a greener world.