Instant vegetable garden 'great for kids'

16:12 7th March 2011

An instant vegetable garden is a great way to get budding greenhouse enthusiasts interested in horticulture, an expert has suggested.

Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Daisy Bridgewater said "there is a huge amount of excitement and satisfaction to be had by encouraging children to grow (and eat) their own vegetables".

However, it takes a bit of effort to make sure garden activities dovetail with the patience and planning skills of small children, she added.

As a result, Ms Bridgewater continued, an instant vegetable garden could be the perfect answer.

Several companies offer boxes for home delivery, which are often carefully packaged in straw and a compostable container.

The expert went on to suggest that buying children a wildlife book can transform their walk to school and awaken their interest in the natural world.

Last month, Martyn Cox wrote in the Daily Mail that giving kids a cactus is a great way to get them interested in gardening as they are easy to look after and "virtually indestructible".