Whether you’re an avid gardener with the greenest of thumbs or a beginner looking to start slow and steady, there’s no better time to start thinking about what you’d like to do with your garden this year now that spring is finally upon us.

Do you want to try growing any vegetables? Have you got any flowers you’d like to watch bloom? Or maybe you just want to keep your grass as green and tidy as possible, but aren’t sure how?

There are so many aspects of gardening and, when you get things right, the results can be simply stunning, but for me, gardening is a lot more than mowing the lawn and growing some pretty plants; some of my fondest memories from when my children were young were made in our garden and we continue to make new ones there even now.

I truly believe gardening shouldn’t be a chore – though that’s not to say it isn’t hard work at times! Instead, I think it’s a wonderful and fun hobby to have and is the perfect activity to get everybody outside in the sunshine enjoying some fresh air, and even more importantly it can also be a brilliant way to both bond with your child and teach them about nature at the same time.

By integrating gardening into your homeschool, you’ll open up a whole other level of engagement and excitement for your child, and the fun change of scenery can help to break up your homeschool day a little without throwing you off track.

If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know that I’m a massive advocate for planning and think doing so is absolutely vital when it comes to getting the results you want, both inside a homeschooling environment and out, and gardening is no exception!

Like with homeschooling, taking the time to put together a plan and thinking things through now will set you and your garden up for success for the rest of the year, which is why I’ve shared some of my favourite tips and tricks below month by month to make it easier for you to refer back to as and when needed:

As Soon as Possible:

Weeding isn’t the most fun of tasks, I will admit, but it is an essential part of keeping your garden looking and feeling its best. By putting some time and effort in to thoroughly weed your garden and put down any necessary weed-suppression now, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches later on during the year, so try to get on to that as soon as you can if you haven’t already.

Daffodils are a beautiful spring flower that will grow year on year, so if you don’t currently have any in your garden but want to have them in future, now is the ideal time to grab some bulbs or grown flowers and get them planted in your garden before the season ends.

This Month:

April is the perfect month to start laying down your gardening foundations and ignite your child’s passion for nature, thanks to the milder weather conditions outside and an abundance of spring-based TV shows on the television.

To get your lawn under control and ready to flourish, you may wish to mow it now and fill any gaps with lawn seed as your soil will be warm and moist, and the weather will be just right for the seeds to properly germinate.

If you want to plant any new shrubs or move some existing ones to better suit your garden plans, now is the perfect time to do so. You can use this as an opportunity to teach your child different plant names and types as well as any medicinal properties they might have – perhaps you could make it into a fun project by asking your child to research the origin of the plants and their usage throughout history, for example?

If you’d like to encourage more wildlife in your garden, you could also use this as a learning opportunity by researching their different natural habitats, diets, and ways you can make your garden a haven for them. From hedgehogs and snails to squirrels, birds and other local creatures, there are so many different animals you and your child can learn about together, all from the comfort of your garden.

Should your child really engage with your lessons about wildlife, you can tap into this passion for animals in some of your other lessons, too, like my comprehension lesson featuring  a passage on bird-feeding, which you can find here.

May:

During May, you’ll want to turn your attention to your bedding plants as well as any vegetables and herbs you wish to grow. If you have a local garden centre you can take your child to, this could act as a great little trip out that encourages your child to get more involved in the garden and teach them about where the food we eat comes from. By allowing them to choose some vegetables or herbs they like and growing those together, they will be more likely to engage with what you’re teaching them, and may also me more likely to then eat the vegetables they’ve grown!

I personally find peppers, tomatoes and cucumber to be easy, fuss-free options that thrive under most conditions, but there are so many different varieties out there to choose from that are all equally as good.

June:

June is the time for early summer flowering, which can make for some really pretty blooms. Around this time, you might find there are some local rare plant shows you can go to with your child to learn about plants and possibly purchase some to grow in your garden if you wish.

July:

By now, your garden should be full of life and thriving, but you may find some earlier flowers have died off – particularly if you have roses. To encourage new growth, you should “dead-head” these flowers by trimming the stem behind the dead bloom back slightly; there are many tutorials online you can follow if you’re unsure of how best to do so.

August:

If the last few summers are anything to go by, August will be incredibly hot with temperatures soaring higher than your plants would probably like, so make sure you keep a close eye on them and keep them well-watered to ensure they stay healthy.

If you have hedges in your garden, now will be an ideal time to trim them down.

September:

I like to use this time to take cutting of my favourite plants ahead of winter to look after indoors, which is a great opportunity to teach your child about the growth of plants and the differences between evergreen plants and perennial ones.

If you have a pond in your garden, make sure you cover it up to stop leaves getting in and causing any issues over the winter.

October:

As the weather takes a turn, make sure your garden furniture is well covered – especially if it’s wooden. When the leaves start to fall, you and your child can rake them up together, which is something my own children used to really enjoy as it meant they could jump into the leaf piles once they were done!

I really hope this guide gives you a nice starting point when you’re making your garden plans for the year, but if you find yourself catching the gardening bug and really want to develop your green thumbs, why not check if there are any local groups or classes you can attend with your child, or maybe even look into an allotment?

If your child enjoys learning about the outdoors, nature and gardening and you’d like some lessons to use in your homeschool, please get in touch with me by clicking here and I will see how I can assist.

Until next time,