Gardening with Kids in North Carolina: Why Dirt, Bugs, and Beans Still MatterYou remember those summers, don’t you?
- Sara Rubens
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
You remember those summers, don’t you?
The 70s, 80s, 90s...
When the sun was our screen, our bikes were our freedom, and the only “notifications” we got were from our mom yelling that dinner was ready.
Back then, a good day meant scraped knees, muddy hands, and maybe a few fireflies caught in a jar before bedtime.
And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how different it is for kids today.
So much of their world lives behind glass.
Scrolls instead of soil.
Games with pixels instead of petals.
But here’s the good news—the garden is still here.
It hasn’t changed.
And it’s still one of the best places for kids to be kids.
🌿 Summer Is the Perfect Season to Bring Kids Into the Garden
Here in North Carolina, we’re lucky to have a long and vibrant growing season.
And now—with school out, days stretching longer, and the buzz of summer fully here—it’s the perfect time to invite your kids (or grandkids) into the garden with you.
No need for Pinterest-perfect rows or elaborate lesson plans. Just:
Messy hands
Fresh air
And a little magic growing beneath their feet
Because here’s the truth:
You’re not just growing vegetables.
You’re growing memories.
You’re growing curiosity.
You’re growing connection.
And sometimes, all it takes is a small garden project to turn a “meh” summer afternoon into something joyful and unforgettable.
🌱 1. Build a Bean Teepee (A Living Fort!)
This one’s always a hit—and it grows fast, which helps keep little attention spans engaged.
Here’s what you’ll need:
5–6 garden stakes (about 5 feet tall)
Some twine
Pole bean seeds
A bit of imagination
How to do it:
Form the stakes into a circle, leaning them inward like a tent.
Tie the tops together with twine.
Around the base, have your child plant pole bean seeds (2–3 per pole works great).
Water daily, and in just a few weeks, you’ll have a lush green hideout made of leaves and vines.
It becomes their secret space, their snack station, their jungle fort—all in one.
And when they spot those long green beans dangling down?
You’ll see their eyes light up.
🎨 2. Paint the Pots (And Plant a Tiny Garden)
If you’ve got some terracotta pots—or even old yogurt tubs or tin cans—this is a wonderful creative project to kick off a gardening day.
Set out some acrylic paint, brushes, sponges, stickers, or anything else you’ve got on hand.
Let the kids decorate their containers however they like. Rainbows. Ladybugs. Silly faces. Their own names.
There are no rules here.
Once the pots are dry, fill them with soil and plant something simple:
Basil: Fast-growing and fragrant
Sunflowers: Big, bold, and joyful
Mint: Easy and fun to smell every day
This project gives them something they can care for, water, and watch grow—and that kind of responsibility builds quiet confidence.
🦋 3. Start a Backyard Bug Safari
Kids are natural explorers. And the garden is full of little surprises.
Turn an ordinary morning into a mini adventure with a bug safari.
What you’ll need:
A small notebook
A pencil or crayon
A magnifying glass (optional but fun)
Invite your kids to walk through the garden and look for all the tiny garden dwellers they can find:
Butterflies
Worms
Ants
Ladybugs
Caterpillars
Bees (from a distance, of course)
They can draw what they see, name their new “garden friends,” or even write short stories about them.
It’s like journaling meets science class—with a whole lot of wonder thrown in.
💬 Why This Matters—Now More Than Ever
Let’s be honest: the pace of life has changed.
We’re busier. Our kids are busier. And the digital world? It’s louder than ever.
But when you walk into a garden—something shifts.
The noise quiets. The body slows.
And something ancient in all of us remembers: this is where we come from.
For kids, the garden is more than just dirt and plants.
It’s a place to get grounded (literally).
To explore, discover, and grow—not just food, but patience, observation, and care.
These moments don’t need to be structured or perfect.
They just need to be shared.
👩🌾 Gardening in North Carolina with Kids: What Makes It Special
If you’re gardening in North Carolina, you’ve got a big advantage: variety.
Between our long warm season, vibrant pollinator population, and wide range of native plants, there’s always something happening in the garden.
Here’s what makes gardening here especially rewarding for families:
Extended growing season: You can start early and keep going into fall—plenty of chances to experiment and harvest multiple rounds.
Butterflies galore: From Monarchs to Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, your kids are likely to spot pollinators regularly.
Mild winters: Even in colder months, there are ways to grow greens, herbs, or start seeds indoors.
Rain and sunshine balance: Our climate supports everything from strawberries to sweet potatoes—perfect for child-led gardening projects.
And in the age of screen time and overstimulation?
That kind of outdoor rhythm is the best kind of reset—for kids and grown-ups.
🌼 The Garden Is Still One of the Best Classrooms
We don’t always need big vacations, expensive camps, or endless summer activities to keep kids engaged.
Sometimes all they need is a little patch of earth, a few seeds, and an adult willing to say, “Let’s try this together.”
They’ll get dirty.
They’ll get curious.
And they’ll come away with something richer than we could ever plan.
It’s not about the harvest.
It’s about the process.
The presence.
The time.
Because just like the plants we tend, kids grow best when we give them space to stretch, explore, and take root in something real.
💚 Don’t Wait for Your Kids to Grow Up
If you’ve been meaning to bring your little ones into the garden, let this be your nudge.
You don’t need a big plan.
Just a few minutes, one pot, one seed, one story.
Because years from now, they might not remember the perfect layout or whether the cucumbers produced well…
But they will remember how you let them help.
How the soil felt between their fingers.
And how good that first cherry tomato tasted when they picked it all by themselves.
Want help setting up a garden space for your family?
I offer garden design and coaching right here in North Carolina, and I’d love to help you build a kitchen garden that grows more than just food — it grows memories.
With warmth and encouragement seed2sanctuary
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