| Indoor gardening for kids is actually much easier to | | | | months before you see the leaves transforming |
| handle than an outside garden. An indoor garden can | | | | themselves into small citrus trees. |
| be maintained in one area and you don't have to | | | | Another type of indoor garden for kids is greens, |
| worry about taking your children out in the rain to pull | | | | such as mustard or watercress. This type of garden |
| weeds. | | | | is started by placing a paper towel on a dinner plate |
| A root top garden is an easy way to start children | | | | and soaking it with water. Tip the plate so that all |
| on their first indoor gardening project. All you need to | | | | excess water is poured off. Now, sprinkle watercress |
| do is cut off the tops of root vegetables such as | | | | or mustard seeds over half of the paper towel. |
| carrots, turnips or beets. Remove all of the leaves | | | | Cover the dish with another paper towel or another |
| that are on the stems and cut the stems down to | | | | plate so that it is kept out of the light. When three |
| about half an inch. Then, put the stems in a shallow | | | | days has passed, add more seeds to the other half |
| dish or pie plate and cover the bottom of the dish | | | | of the paper towel that is on the bottom of the dish. |
| with water. Put decorative stones or pebbles in the | | | | Make sure that the paper towel stays moist, but is |
| bottom of the dish to make it more attractive. | | | | not saturated with water. Re-cover the seeds for |
| Place the dish on a windowsill where it will get plenty | | | | another few days. When that seedlings are about |
| of sunlight. Make sure you keep your root garden | | | | half an inch high, leave uncovered and place on a |
| well watered. Leaves will begin to sprout in about | | | | windowsill where they will get plenty of sunlight. |
| two to three weeks. | | | | Continue to keep the paper towels moist. |
| Citrus fruits are also a good place to start for | | | | Watercress and the mustard are ready for harvest |
| beginner indoor gardeners. Remove the seeds, which | | | | when they are about three inches high. These greens |
| are called pips, from oranges, limes, lemons or | | | | are great used in salads or sandwiches. |
| grapefruit. Fill small planter pots with potting soil. Put | | | | You can also use any indoor plant as a child's first |
| two or three pips just beneath the surface of the | | | | indoor garden. Since children love to watch for those |
| soil in each pot. If you are planting more than one | | | | first green leaves, it's more fun for them if you start |
| type of citrus seed, put small labels on each flower | | | | the plants from seeds. |
| pot so that you can tell which kind of plant they are. | | | | A child will remember his or her first garden with joy, |
| When you see the first shoots appear, place the | | | | and will want to graduate to an outdoor garden |
| pots in a sunny area such as a windowsill. After the | | | | when older. So, teach your children the joys of |
| plants have grown two pairs of leaves, carefully | | | | gardening now for enjoyment that will last them a |
| transfer each one to its own pot. It will take several | | | | lifetime. |