We get them interested by just doing. It might be years later, but memories of their youth will come back. I'm starting to see it now in my 21 year old. A few questions here, a few questions there but she probably truly won't get it until she has more time on her hands or a place she calls her own.

ceresone- good question!
if nothing else, the economic issues will bring people back to gardening.
william

It is noteworthy, that all of the Elementary Schools around my area, have gardens. The kids are responsible for preparing the soil, planting the seed and maintaining the gardens. Seed are usually donated by nurseries, garden clubs and parents. The garden clubs judge their efforts and provide the youngsters with plaques or scrolls as a reward for outstanding work.
Our youngest daughter teaches special ed students at a Voc HS. They have greenhouses and gardens and the students grow all of the plants from seed and offer vegetables and annuals for sale by the flat. They also grow vegetables in the gardens and sell those. The school also has a woodworking shop, auto repair facility and appliance repair, including refrigeration. Since it's unlikely that any of these students will attend college, they are trying to prepare them for entering the work-force, once they graduate.
There have also been some reverses along the way. A garden club in a nearby small town, with the assistance of students, installed a butterfly garden that was maintained by the students. It received positive reviews and was written up in a number of local papers and publications.
A new principal was assigned to the school and one of her first actions was to have the garden removed. A larger playground was needed, according to her and the garden was an eyesore. She then had the gall to approach the garden club for donations to purchase playground equipment!

Both of our youngsters obtained Associate Degrees in Botany, Horticulture and worked part-time at local nurseries during HS and College. After graduation, they found that the pay being offered wouldn't support their modern lifestyle and went into other careers. Both are now teachers in public schools.
They claim that they have no spare time to do garden work!
But I think both are beginning to realize that their old Mom & Dad remain in relatively good health because they spend so much time in the outdoors, tending their garden!
Don't ever surrender! There is always hope.
Rb

rb- thats a heart warmer!
william

I agree with RB; we just do our thing and hopefully we imprinting on them something! I know both of our children are wanting a small acreage. My son did admit to beginning to enjoy yard work (he has now hired someone to mow!). My daughter is beginning to discuss wanting me to design a small perennial bed for the front of her house. I reminded her it would require some work on her part... don't know how that will turn out.

Mine are 43 and 40. I think the first step I will attempt is to get them to plant a tomato in the foundation beds.
They sure enjoy eating my garden stuff when they come home!

Rb, we don't need teachers of that caliber.....anywhere!

I do remember as a kid, I hated working in the garden. Dad planted but he made us do all the hoeing. You didn't complain to him like the kids do today! He was my "go to" adviser when I planted my first garden at our first house.
We would have an unofficial contest for who got the first tomato and who grew the longest Missouri Wonder pole bean.

RB, thats great! And I think the school board should have been contacted on the principal! (notice I put her in little letters? LOL)
Our Vo-Ag dept. here does raise plants, but it's only a means to get what they otherwise couldn't get!
The one ray of hope here, my SIL is "dabbling" in gardening now, but I'm afraid his setbacks the last 2 years might discourage him. He bought dirt, and raised his beds with landscape timbers--the termites ate the timbers--and his boughten dirt could have made bricks. So, he started a compost pile, mostly leaves, spread it in the fall (guess who ran over, mowed and swept to refill it?)but, after all it's his sweeper.
Wm, this economy might bring a few good things, if it makes people return to gardens.

Find these children a Ruth Stout book. I grow flowers not vegetables because that is what my mother got me interested in as a child. You can grow tomatoes with almost no work if you have some straw bales. Make it easy, make it fun. It amazes me how nice people stand back and let things happen. When I was around schools it was the sports people who ran things. It annoyed me but they were the ones who were passionate and spoke up. The ones who liked the garden should have stood up for them.

It is amazing the things people in power can get away with.
Your are right Helen, it was that way at our school an still is at the one's my children an now grandchildren attend. If you or your family is involved in sports you can have a say, other wise... hush.
I agree that the best way to teach our children an grandchildren is by example.
I have had my daughter ask me about how to take care of a plant she has purchased. Funny, she waited until after she planted it. It was a shade plant and she had it right out there where it would get full sun an bake to a crisp. Oh well live an learn we all did.
My granddaughter was 4 at the time and after she had eaten a banana in the car. She handed me her banana peel saying " here Le ah Say, for your compost". So I think they do listen and watch they just don't always do.
When our families used to get together at my grandparents. My aunt used to set up the camcorder in the corner and just let it run. Later when they had the anniversary an then the wake they had a cropped version of all of those tapes playing for everyone to watch. It was rather nice to see have everyone had changed over the years an what they had to say. It is also a great way for people to talk and remember together.
The economy will bring about some changes in america. I just hope they are for the better.
Funny how "new" gardeners feel they need to always have the latest gadgets to garden. Some things are left to the tried an true. But there are some things I would not want to do with out. I love my claw tool. Cheeper version but just love it. It works great to turn the soil in the beds and such w/o having to get out all those big tools. At least for my hands an back.
Bonnie

Bonnie, Do you mean the one with finger-like claws, and a short handle? In other words, my backscratcher? mine never made it to the garden.

Ceresone,
Here is a link. But this is not what I have.
Mine has an s shaped handle. the tines arecurved down from the top and the a twist shape an the way down.
I got mine a a farm store about 4-5 years ago an only paid &10. for it.
I have used that this so much an still looks great.
I like to use it to break up the small tree/shrub roots that invade my raised bed.
I think w/the s shaped handle it helps me to be able to put some oomph behind it. lol
Bonnie

Sorry should have started a new thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: twist tiller

I still have kids living at home so I may be a bit younger than some of you. I know it gets tiresome trying to keep up with learning how to use new technology and I'm very grateful to the older generation that have taken the time to learn how to use the internet and post on these forums. It's true that we'll lose a lot when the generation before us is gone, but a lot has been passed on (via the web) as well. I'm sure there are many wise old gardeners on these forums who don't HAVE family to pass their knowledge to and it's wonderful that they can pass that on to people all over the country. I sure have learned a lot from my friends here and still have much more to learn so don't go anywhere. lol

As one of the "oldies" and a great grandma, for my part, I Thank You, Christie

My older daughter hated to garden when she was a teen and always begged off by offering to do the housework. Then she got married and moved to Denver and had a baby in midMay. In early June when I was there, expecting to spend my time googooing at my new granddaughter, she asked me to help her plant a tiny veggie garden in a 4X 15ft bed next to the patio of their rented apt. I said, I thought you didn't like to garden. She said, I don't, but store bought veggies taste like cardboard. Now she lives closer and has three daughters, who love broccoli, sugarsnap peas, green beans and corn IF it comes out of Nana's garden. And she has a tiny tiny plot of ground in her tiny tiny back yard in Tulsa area where she plants a few tomatoes and cucs and a teepee of green beans. So their attitude can change. And what of my younger daughter who was my gardening buddy as a teen? She married a man with two yard dogs and no place for veggies, although she still tries to raise a few flowers and the dogs make that hard. So DH and I are raising a bigger garden now than when all four of our kids were at home.

I think one reason why our kids don't garden like we did is the lifestyle they lead. My grandkids (not so much our daughter's girl) are in so many extra-curricular things that it keeps both parents running to take them to and fro! Too much in my opinion; but they never asked me!

I do think the love of good food is deeply ingrained in them. I encourage them to seek out Farmer's Markets in season to get the best food....and find orchards. Now I am trying to teach them about the hazards of hydrogenated foods...........but that's a whole 'nother story!

Yes, Christie, it is nice to be appreciated. I can't tell you the times I have wanted to ask mother about cooking, for instance her recipe for mincemeat, and dad about gardening. He was the family gardener.

My oldest daughter is now grown and married and I STILL call my mother occasionally to ask a cooking question. She used to make mincemeat but hasn't for years. I remember making mincemeat cookies when I was kid. She baked deserts a lot, always had something homebaked on the kitchen counter when we got home from school. I should get her recipe for mincemeat. I'll post it when I do so you can see if it looks similar to your mother's Gld.

Dorothy - That's a lot of work to raise extra veggies for your kids and grandkids. I hope they appreciate it. My dad raises extra tomatoes but I don't know if his motivation is to share or if he just likes to raise tomatoes. lol I think it's a bit of an addiction. He knows so much about gardening and probably has never read a book on it and I'm sure he hasn't used the internet. Just lots of passed down knowledge from his parents.

Every year my wife and I try to mentor someone else in gardening. We have a good garden and sometimes share produce. Seems, these days that interest is increasing. But many have little or no knowledge with which to work. Last year we went over to some friends' and helped them actually dig up a spot for their first garden. Then we shared some of our compost (the gift that hurts to give!). By the middle of the summer they were so very happy. They kept saying, "We only wish we had more space!"

Our son never seemed particularly interested in gardening. But once he moved out, like Mulberryknob mentioned, he suddenly realized that much of the rest of the world doesn't eat as well as he'd taken for granted. When circumstances permit, I bet he and his new wife will put in a garden.

For parents of small children I believe it's important to give positive reinforcement. My Dad read us stories about Jack and the Bean Stalk. Then he helped us plant Scarlet Runner beans. He helped us to plant big zinnias, gourds, sunflowers and things which kids would like. When I had a watermelon volunteer in my sandbox (at the ripe old age of four) my dad and mom helped me to fertilize and care for it. Just before frost I picked a mostly ripe melon, which was the best I can remember eating :)

We kids were required to help in the garden. That didn't hurt us one bit. But I can still remember when I messed up and tilled in an entire planting of baby carrots... and my dad showed me mercy. Perfectionism and making kids into gardeners do not mix. It takes lots of patience to grow gardeners. But it's worth it.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Wise words, George. I don't have children but I suspect these children who take up gardening after moving away are missing Mom and Dad. Probably they are appreciating more what they had at home and emulating hard working practical people.

You're a good dad George. The summer before last I gave my girls a big bag of zinnia seeds and told them to plant them anywhere they wanted. I had zinnias coming up in the weirdest places but they were proud of themselves.

You mentioning Jack and the Beanstalk made me think of the book below. My son has claimed this as his all time favorite for several years. This is not a site that I've ordered from. I just wanted to post a description of the book.

Here is a link that might be useful: Weslandia

Christie,

I went to that link and it had moved. What was the name of that book, so I can look it up?

George

George,
The name of the book is the name of the link christie had left."Weslandia".
When I clicked on it, it took me to the online store.
But it gives a description of the children's book.
I think my grandchildren would like it.
My granddaughter wears ladybug rain boots year round w/anything.
She got them after she watched me wear rubber boots out to work in the mud. She is quite the corker.
This book sounds right up her alley.
Thanks Christie.
Bonnie

I was being bored and chanced on this group. If any of you go to sales, auction and other, look for old garden books. Many of them have much lost information. Currently I am waiting for April to see if I can do a spring tree peony graft the way mentioned in a 1840 Horticulture, Botany, magazine talks about. Have had several others especially from NY and PA that talks about using manure pits to heat hot houses. I don't have enough manure or area to do that but a lot of information is waiting in the old books. You just have to decifier it. Same way to had to take your gram's receipts where it said a hand full of this and that.

Those of you that still have old ones arround keep talking to them about what was done when they were little. Between what sounds like babble is a world of information if you just listen to it.

Hope you all weather the ice and stay warm until spring.

Sorry that link didn't work for you George. Try searching for Weslandia by Paul Fleischman on Google. You should get several matches.
Maifleur - You're in good company. I think we're all bored and ready for winter to end. You have a horticulture magazine from 1840?!! That must be fun to look through. I found this online but I can't get the full text to load because I'm using dial-up. Is this the same magazine? I wonder what else has been scanned and put on the web.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Magazine of horticulture, botany, and all useful discoveries and improvements in rural affairs

That is the same magazine. Thank You a thousand times over.

maifleur, now that you have found us, please stay with us!

I am loving how this thread has attracted so many new people.

I read your home page and got a laugh. I am already the little old lady who farms and gardens!

I remember many years ago I saw the neatest oldlady at the farm supply store in Ash Grove. She was driving an immaculate antique pickup, was wearing very nice fitting overalls and was wearing a striped engineers type cap on her beautiful gray hair that was in a braid wrapped around her head.

I told my husband that she was the epitome of what I wanted to look like at her age. I can't wear overalls so I will have to settle for jeans and a flannel shirt.

Christie what a neat website. I will be visiting that later today.

I hope all the newcomers with stay with us.

Oh, Yes, I hope the newcomers stay too-it's not just "us oldies" who have a wealth of information to share, I think each of us have learned from experience, whether right or wrong, many ways we'd all like to hear about.
My, don't I wish I could wear overalls!!

Maifleur - Thank YOU! I wouldn't have thought to search for them if you hadn't told us about them. I didn't even know there WERE garden magazines that long ago except for the farmer's almanacs. With my dial-up I can get just the first few pages to load before it quits. I'll be glad when my wireless starts working again. You can't be that far away from the Ozarks. Of course you're welcome to join in.