Hello autumn! It’s been a long, blistering summer. Now that the weather is a bit cooler, it is a great time to head outside and do some gardening with the kids. Khurshid Guffar spoke to Farah Sayed, who is a mother, gardener, poet and storyteller and founder of The Lemon Tree, a project focused on raising environmental awareness through gardening, poetry, art and people. Her work celebrates a holistic lifestyle, appreciating and connecting with nature in an eco-friendly approach.
“Gardening is akin to therapy,” says Farah, who lives by the philosophy, Love Heal Grow Live. “It provides us with nourishment, values and learning important food production skills. I wanted to share this valuable life experience with my children and the local community.’
Getting children involved in gardening offers them some respite from the fast-paced world in which we live, where instant gratification is the norm. “Learning to be patient while a lemon tree grows is a huge part of learning to be a successful gardener,” says Farah. She says that other values gardening teaches children are an appreciation for how we manage food and minimise wastage, as well as a love and care for the earth and its creatures.
Getting their hands stuck in the soil also teaches children a number of skills. ‘I find gardening is a great way to teach ecological literacy and important food productions skills. It also stimulates creativity and develops research and problem-solving skills (we are able to explore the various seasons, plan and prep our soil, measure the landscapes and quantities for seed and crop etc.) – it’s vast! Gardening is great for instilling a sense of responsibility in children. Farah elaborates, “How to water your plant and what happens if you don’t care for your plants. We are eco-friendly gardeners, which means we do our best to ensure our methodology does not harm the environment, incorporating the 10 Rs – Respect, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Renew, Responsibility, Rethink, Replant, Restore and Recycle.”
What plants should be planted in autumn?
“As the heat and humidity gradually settle, it is considered to be the best time to manage our gardens. Plant snapdragons, dianthus, petunias, pansies, violas. If you have a vegetable garden like us, autumn is the best time to plant onions, broccoli, cabbage, Swiss chard, peas, carrots, lettuce and beans. Sow some rocket and parsley too – and don’t forget to start a compost pile, or add to your existing one.”
I want to start gardening with my children, what do I need?
Here are Farah’s simple tips.
- Get your children’s input. Decide together on what you would like would to plant. Flowers are wonderful, but growing food is amazing.
- Choose a location – it doesn’t need to be large but should have good sun exposure and be close enough to a water source.
- Brightly coloured tool kits, watering cans and gloves.
- Herbs such as basil and thyme or veggie plants like peas, beans, tomatoes and even potatoes are easy to grow.
- A good variety of seeds and seedlings.
- Recyclable plant pots are awesome
- Don’t forget to have fun!