Preschoolers love helping out, so this morning, in anticipation of tomorrow’s rain, I engaged Laurel to help prep our first garden; she jumped right in with her bucket and shovel to scoop and dump. It didn’t take long for me to turn the soil and Laurel wanted to keep digging, so I brought out a lawn chair and book. It was almost embarrassingly luxurious to enjoy the fresh air, read, and periodically chat about bugs and stones with Laurel while she shoveled away.

Whether you have a little square of yard or indoor pots, try a gardening project with your kids. Yes, it can get messy, but it’s a fun way for them to experience nature, and I’m hoping (but not holding my breath…) that Laurel’s investment in the project might translate to veggie consumption. For those of you interested in joining in…we actually have next to no experience gardening, so we're trying peas, radish, and beets; all allegedly easy to grow in New England. Also, I have heard that you often get what you pay for with cheap grocery seeds so we picked up our seeds at Pemberton Farms in Cambridge. As for process, other than tilling the soil and waiting for rain, we're just going to follow the directions on the packets and hope for growth.