March honor · Gardener award

Gardening

February's seedlings go into real dirt. This month the kids plant a club garden bed, learn what weeds and worms are for, and start on the lettuce and radishes they will eat at supper in May.

Grow something you can eat.

Why kids love it

  • Dirt, on purpose. Digging, planting and watering outdoors as the days get longer.
  • Food they grew. Radishes and lettuce come up fast enough to eat before the year ends.
  • Worms and bugs. Who helps the garden and who does not, with a magnifying glass.
  • A plant for home. Each child pots a flower or herb to take home.

What we will do

  1. Plan the bed. Sun, water, space: draw the club garden and decide what goes where.
  2. Prepare the soil. Dig, pull weeds, add compost, meet the worms.
  3. Plant. Seedlings from February plus seeds sown straight in. Label everything.
  4. Care. A watering rota for club nights; learn what wilting and yellow leaves mean.
  5. Harvest and share. Pick the first radishes for supper and tell the leader how your plant grew to earn the award.

Boots or old shoes on garden nights, please.

Stars, chips and awards are the Adventurer badges: Little Lambs earn stars, Eager Beavers earn chips, Busy Bees and up earn awards. Official requirements are in the leader's guide; younger levels join every activity and count it toward their own level.

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