Kids often dig gardening

In his book, "Last Child in the Woods," Richard Louv points out that children are spending more time indoors, leaving less time to experience the miracle of nature.

Do we really need authorities to tell us that the outdoors is good for kids? If we just watch them playing outside, we see them turning over rocks to discover what's hiding underneath; picking dandelions and scattering their fuzzy seeds; or playing in the dirt with sticks, or better yet, their fingers.

One way to get your children interested in spending more time outside is to help them plant their own garden.

If you want some quality time with your children this summer, choose a few packets of easy-to-grow seeds and create a garden together.

Take photos of the fun and create a scrapbook -- a good rainy day project.

Plan the garden

Choose a site with lots of sun and good, well-drained soil. If your soil is less than desirable, add compost to improve it. If space is a challenge, plant seeds in containers on your patio or deck.

Think about your children's interests when deciding which plants to grow. Do they want to grow flowers? Or would they rather eat what they grow? If your children are very young, choose plants with large seeds that small hands can handle easily. Get your children some child-sized tools so they won't be discouraged trying to handle tools meant for an adult.

Flowers

Bachelor buttons are perfect for impatient young gardeners. They bloom within six weeks of planting. Their blue flowers attract butterflies in the garden or look beautiful in a vase on the dinner table.

Cosmos germinate very quickly and bloom all summer if deadheaded, in shades of white and pink. Cosmos also make good cut flowers and attract butterflies.

Marigold seeds are easy to handle, germinate very quickly, and bloom within two months of planting. Their flowers of white to yellow, orange to red, and combinations of these bloom all summer.

Nasturtiums are fast growing and tough. Their seeds are large, easy to handle, and germinate quickly. These plants thrive on neglect, making them perfect for a beginning gardener.

Sunflowers belong in all children's gardens. They grow very quickly and need little care. Their seeds are large enough for even the smallest of hands to plant. Although sunflowers are available in dwarf sizes, children love to watch them grow to gigantic proportions.

Vegetables

Bush beans are easy to grow and fun to harvest. They germinate in just one week and are ready to pick in 40 to 65 days. Bush beans don't need poles or trellises. If your children want a "bean teepee," choose pole beans that are just as easy to grow.

Carrots are underground treasures that kids love to discover. Children love their orange color and sweet taste but will have to wait for their slower germination. Choose dwarf varieties because they mature more quickly.

Leaf lettuce is a quick, reliable crop ready to eat in just 45 days. Plant several varieties together in a "salad bowl" garden.

Pumpkins are an obvious choice. Seeds germinate in seven days and vines begin to grow shortly after. Pumpkins take up to 120 days to mature, but patience is rewarded when kids can carve their own pumpkins for Halloween.

Sugar snap peas are sweet and crunchy. Fifty-five days after planting, kids love picking and popping them into their mouths.