Planting herbs with children
Discover nature through play
Now it's green: fresh herbs on the balcony, windowsill or in the garden
Your own herb garden - sounds like a lot of space? Not at all! Whether on the windowsill, on the balcony or in the garden: fresh herbs grow almost anywhere and bring lots of joy. Especially in spring, when nature awakens, planting and caring for them is a real adventure for children. They can watch how fragrant herbs sprout from tiny seeds, learn responsibility when watering and discover how good home-grown herbs taste.
Which herbs are particularly suitable for young gardeners?
The following are particularly easy to care for and ideal for small hands:
- Cress: germinates at lightning speed and can be harvested after just a few days.
- Basil: loves the sun and is a classic for pizza and pasta.
- Parsley: needs a little patience, but rewards with great flavor.
- Chives: always growing back and perfect for sprinkling on toasted and buttered bread.
- Lemon balm: fresh fragrance, delicious for tea or lemonade.
- Mint: refreshing and versatile, great for teas and desserts.
This is how it works: Step by step to the herb garden
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Step 1: Choose the right pot
Small pots with drainage holes and a matching saucer are ideal. Instead of pots, you can also use egg cartons, cardboard rolls from toilet or kitchen paper or even empty yogurt pots with small holes carefully drilled in the bottom.
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Step 2: Fill with soil
Special herb soil is best, but other potting soil can also be used.
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Step 3: Planting seeds or young plants
Cover the seeds thinly with soil and press down. For young plants, carefully loosen the roots and place them in the soil. If the herbs have been sown in small cardboard pots, they can also simply be placed in a larger container with the cardboard pot. Then water well.
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Step 4: water and observe
The soil should always be slightly moist, but not too wet.
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Step 5: Soak up the sun
A bright location ensures healthy growth. Be careful if the herbs are outside: Young plants do not like frost! On cooler nights, it helps to cover them with fleece or grow them in pots indoors, which can be placed outside on warmer days.
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Step 6: Harvest regularly
Herbs often grow better if they are cut regularly.
Watch and be amazed! Once the plants are big enough, you can try them. There are no limits to your imagination - whether on sandwiches, in your favorite soup or on pizza, fresh or dried. How about homemade herbal lemonade? Give it a try!
Tip: Scented herbs - memory
Did you know? Herbs not only taste delicious, they also smell very different. It is particularly exciting for children to discover and compare the different smells. So how about a "scented herbs memory"? Simply fill small cloth bags with different herbs and let them guess which plant it is. Lemon balm and mint are particularly suitable for this.