Anthony from Sanur writes… “Hi, I have two young children and was wondering if you had any advice on the safest easiest way to have the children learn about or become active in the garden? Which plants would be the most fun or easy for them to grow? Any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated.”
A great way to have your kids involved in the garden is to plan a scented garden (sometimes referred to as an aromatherapy garden). A scented garden is mentally stimulating for the children. The most famous scented gardens in history are those of Persia, namely, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They were said to have been a paradise of water, cool terraces and an exotic blend of fragrant trees, flowers and herbs. The Greeks established their own flower gardens by the fourth century BC, in honor of their many Gods. They took their inspiration from the ancient gardens of Persia and incorporated many of their features including fruit trees and herbs. The Romans were inspired by the same influences, and many well known scented herbs were used by the Romans, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley.
Gardens are a haven of relaxation. All of our senses are stimulated by the sights, sounds, smell, touch (and even taste!) of a garden. Smell is drawn in to that part of our brain that influences our mood and emotions. Any scent will trigger a response and thus a reaction in us. Children can also be particularly amazed at the smells that come from plants. Take mint for example, children often comment that it smells like chewing gum, or toothpaste, not realizing that the flavor originates from a healthy green leaf! A scented garden is a great learning experience whether you are young or old. Plants that are readily available, easy to grow and which suit the climate are the best starting point to choose from. You could grow Lemongrass, Rosemary, or even the obvious such as Roses?
Set aside a space in your garden for your children to grow their own garden plot. It’s so much more exciting for children if it is their own little garden, especially for them. Giving kids their own garden space will encourage independence and responsibility. The garden can be started from purchased plants and then expanded by cuttings. Plant the seedlings in their garden plot. As they grow take cuttings of each plant and root them indoors in small cups of water. Once roots start growing transplant the cuttings to a small pot with soil. Children are always amazed by the fact that you can grow another plant from a cutting. Show the kids how to harvest leaves fresh from the garden or hang them upside down to dry. Have the child strip the leaves from the stems, crush them and mix up for cooking or let them select their own scent combinations for mixing up a potpourri. In this way your children can learn many aspects of gardening, such as planting and harvesting. They will also recognize the culinary value of a garden as the produce can be used in cooking. But these things are all a bonus really, because the best aspect is that they can play in a garden that both looks and smells attractive, and it’s ok if they nibble on the leaves!
A scented garden focuses on the scents of the plants and flowers in it. The scents released from plants, trees and flowers are the basis for the essential oils which are used in aromatherapy.
There are any number of plants which you can choose for a scented garden, depending on the size of your space and personal tastes. Flowers are the obvious choice for a scented garden, though there are also many fragrant foliage types amongst the herbs and trees, which are also very useful, and often overlooked. These are just a few of my favorites.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrates) - easy to grow in tropical climates, and readily available. It grows like a small bush to 1.5 metres in height. The leaves give off the scent of lemon. One big clump will give many plants, just divide it and plant it out. Lemongrass is used extensively in Indonesian cooking (soto ayam, kare, rending etc).
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) - has large soft green foliage, which gives off the ginger scent, as well as stunning variety of flowers. It also has its obvious uses in cooking. Lemon grass mixed with ginger also makes a delicious tea which is really good for a sore throat!
Lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis) - a hardy lemon scented small shrub, about 30cm high. The plant gives off a strong lemon scent in the wind, or when ypu brush past it. Lemon balm grows best in shade from sunlight. Young lemon balm leaves can be added to give a faint lemon tang to salads or boiled to make tea.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) – easy to grow, tolerates dry coastal conditions and hot weather. It has a strong scent that stimulates the senses. It has tiny blue flowers and many culinary uses.
Jasmine - two types of Jasmine are used for oil production, Jasminum grandiflorum and Jasminum officinale. Most varieties of Jasmine though are bound to have a very sweet scent.
Other common herbs, such as parsley and garlic chives are good scented plants for small spaces or pots. Using trees in your scented garden is also a good idea.
Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) - an attractive looking tree, it has an interesting leaf and a strong scent of citrus. Each leaf looks like two leaves joined together. The tree will grow to 1.5 metres. The fruit is most commonly used in Indonesian cooking for sambal, and the distinctive leaf is used for kare, soto ayam, and nasi kuning. In Bali there are a large number of fragrant cirtus trees to choose from.
Star Fruit (Averrhoa carambola) - so called because when cut the fruit has a 5 pointed star shape. Not only does it have a pleasant scent, the fruit tastes nice, and the tree with its lush green foliage also looks visually attractive. Trees are usually medium sized but can grow large to 10 metres. This tree is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. It takes two to three years to fruit and is very heavy bearing. Children find the shape of the fruit most interesting. It can also be grown in the subtropics, provided the plant is protected from extreme cold.
These are just some ideas to help you get started. Do a little research and customize your scented garden to suit your own tastes or needs. Remember this…just because it is a scented garden, does not mean that it cannot be pleasing to the eye also! A scented garden is both an interesting and fun way for both kids and adults alike, to learn about gardening!
