Get Sowing!

Ostara is possibly one of the easiest festivals to include children in. The land is waking up and the time of new life and rejuvenation is upon us. Nothing illustrates this better than getting some seeds in the ground and letting the children feel the texture and scent of the earth.

Some seeds that you can plant now, which are absolutely perfect for planting with children, are peas. Peas are great - not only are they big enough for young children to easily handle, they germinate well and they will reconnect little guys with where their food comes from. There's no vegetable (in my opinion!) more delicious than fresh peas straight from the plant. Peas are also a fantastic choice if you have little or no space. In small spaces you can plant a small wigwam of peas - pretty as well as yummy, or if you have nothing more than a square foot you can grow them in pots, packed tight together and eat the young shoots in salads (also very yummy!). They can even be grown on the windowsill in this way.

Other seeds that can tolerate the low temperatures and are great for kids are broad beans. Not only are these edibles big ole seeds that are easy to handle, picked small they taste very nice and not at all like those tough old things you buy in the shops. They are also beautiful plants, especially the crimson flowered variety.

If flowers are more your thing how about giving the kids some love-in-a-mist (nigella) seeds to sow? These are much smaller but can be broadcast over some bare earth. They're easy to grow and have interesting feathery foliage that kids will love (fab for tickling!).

Are you sowing any seeds with the kids this year?