rich wrote:

Hi everyone

I'm Bouritise Schmakedy ( regardless of what it says in the from column.
That's my dad's name. )

This isn't really a question. In fact, it isn't a question, but I have just
been on the BBC gardening webpage and I saw a message about a man trying to
garden with 2 small sons. On there you can reply to all the messages and
give advice. I gave a piece of advice that has worked for me and I thought
everyone on here would like to read it.

My piece of advice is - I personally would wait until the summer when plenty
of fruit is around. When you go to the supermarket in summer, if there's
plenty of fruit around tell your sons that they can each have one piece of
fruit.Let's say one of the boys chooses an apple and the other one chooses a
peach. Next time they ask you for a snack, cut the fruit up and give that to
them for the snack. But be sure to save the peach stone and at least 2 apple
pips. Hopefully they will enjoy the fruit and when either they come out with
their plates or you go to get them, put in
the suggestion that you have some of the seeds (they probably won't
understand the stone and the pips) and why don't you plant them.
Hopefully they have enjoyed their fruit so much that they will want to
have more at the ready in the next summer. Take them to the library to
get a book about growing fruit from seeds from the children's section.
It would probably be best if you also get a more detailed book from the
adults section. When you have sown the seeds, the idea of more of that
scrumpsious fruit will keep them interested and they have a reward for
their interest when the tree has produced more fruit. There is no
weeding involved and very little picking up leaves. This tree will also
see them through their entire childhood if they look after it properly.

I'm sorry if that doesn't exactly apply to you - eg. you have 1 boy and 1
girl or you have 2 girls or you have 1 child or you have over 2 children.
But feel free to use this idea, just, if you do, reply to this message sayin
g whether it worked or didn't work for you.

Grand idea,..

You say it has worked for you? You mean you have fruit bearing trees
from pips,.. Congrats...

I've found kids need something a little more instant to keep their short
attention spans. Pumkin family, beans etc have all worked well in the
past. Sunflowers are a favourite.. Fruit wise I'd recommend pip growing
for younger kids, and as an 'additional' project. For encouraging them
to eat more fruit a bought fruit tree is probably a better bet.

And your idea assumes you've got kids that will look at fruit!-)) My
nephews a fussy little sod sometimes!-)
//
J