Hunting for worms
My younger brother and sister often come with me on tomato-hornworm hunts. We feed them to our ducklings. We love praying mantises as much as some children love kitties.
Roy N. Barlow, age 12, Colorado City, AZ
Helpful harvesters
My two young grandsons help me harvest my vegetables and flower seeds. They share the seeds with the neighbors or plant them next season. This helps them understand the plant's life cycle. It also helps me with a never-ending task!
Robyn Belles, Tustin, CA
Compost heaven
My neighbor's children love to collect the worms that hide beneath the rocks bordering my flower beds. I told them they could relocate the worms to my compost bin, where they'd live happily ever after. I frequently catch the kids running across my backyard after a rainstorm with worms in their hands and dirt on their smiling little faces.
Michelle Beerbower, Lansing, MI
Grow juice
I love having our grandchildren over to help garden. Brennan, 6, likes to water the roses and vegetables. He fills a big red plastic coffee can with water and pours grow juice (as he calls it) over each plant. Avaree, 9, helps me prune the roses and shrubs.
Douglas Raymond Rose, Grand Prairie, TX
Learning from experience
In the spring, my sons choose a few plants at the nursery and decide where they should be planted. It's a good learning experience because they have to consider light and water requirements, in addition to the design of the yard. Since they chose the plants, they are eager to care for them.
Ruth Adam, Brooklyn, NY