Gardening is such a fabulous pastime to do with children, for so many reasons. In addition to the obvious fresh air, sunshine and satisfaction of watching things grow, there are fun and easy lessons to be learned as you go. From measuring and calculating to plant science, everyone in the family can discover new things while having a great time.

We started our garden indoors a few weeks ago, with seeds in peat pots on the kitchen counter. K-Mart has some wonderful Martha Stewart kits for this, but you can find what you need almost anywhere, from garden centers to your local supermarket. Potting soil, seeds and peat pots are key; a “greenhouse” with a clear plastic cover make a huge difference, too. There's nothing like the delighted face of a child who wakes up to discover a seedling sprouting from a cup of dirt!

But before you plunge in up to your elbows in soil, a few words about planning. My Cherokee grandmother didn't just have a green thumb-I suspect under her housedresses and apron, her whole body was green. She could take a leaf from one plant and turn it into an entirely new plant, complete with lush blossoms that spilled over on her screened porch in North Carolina. On the other hand, I believed my thumbs were black until a few years ago-I managed to kill even the cacti given to me by sympathetic friends!

The tough part about learning how to garden with my grandparents in the South was that I lived (and still do) in the Midwest. So Grandpa's rule about planting potatoes on Good Friday didn't always work out very well up here, nor did watermelons from my garden taste as sweet as from theirs.

What I finally figured out, well into my thirties, was that plants are like children-you can't treat them all alike and expect them to thrive. Each one likes certain foods and dislikes others; sometimes they like one food one day and hate it the next. Some need lots of sunshine and room to spread out, while others like it cool and shady or prefer to nestle in a cozy spot. All I had to do was educate myself about which plants liked my sunny southern yard, or my dining room windowsills on the north, and I could stop throwing away pots full of dear departed greenery.

So before you even THINK about taking the kids to buy seeds, look at where you'll be growing them. Whether you only have room for an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill, or three acres for all the fruits and veggies your hearts desire, figure out-with the kids-how much sun there is in your gardening spot(s), and for how long. If you plant shadelovers in full sun, they'll burn up and die. If you want any hope of growing sunlovers like tomatoes or roses, you'll need a very sunny spot that's easy to water every day.

The other factor to consider before any actual planting takes place (besides light and access to water) is space. It's amazing how many different plants you can fit into a small space if you consider the size of each type, how much room they need (especially climbers or spreading vines like cucumbers) and timing of harvest, etc.

Kate Jerome, Kenosha horticulturist and garden writer, says, “The best thing to do with kids in the garden is keep them curious. Curiosity breeds interest. Plant things that are unusual colors and shapes, like blue potatoes, purple green beans, red carrots and even white pumpkins.”

Since we're a family of journalists, we keep a garden journal. This is a great place to make your plans before actually doing. Have the kids draw a map of your garden on graph paper, and color in the fruits and vegetables and flowers. Keep a log of when you plant which seeds, indoors or out, and mark down how long each takes to germinate, which ones didn't come up at all, etc. This will be a great record of your progress, and will help you decide what to duplicate next year and what to do differently.

The garden journal can become a separate project all on its own. We use a large three-ring binder, with filler paper for recording information and photo album pages for mounting photos, drawings, etc. When your garden produces flowers, have the kids press some in heavy books or a plant press, and then mount and label them in the journal. Be sure to include photos of your family working in the garden and enjoying its produce!

Another thing to consider during the planning/planting process is timing. Radishes are a great vegetable to grow because they have such a short time from planting to harvest. Your children will feel rewarded by the quick turnaround, and may even get them to eat salad! You can space plantings by a week to a month and enjoy steady results throughout the season. Jerome adds, “Plant lots of flowers in the vegetable garden, and encourage your children to pick them to their hearts' content.”

OK. So you've planned and planted the seeds, indoors or out. You have seedlings and your kids are learning the responsibility of watering and nourishing the garden on a regular basis. Now's the time to explore things to do with your produce when it arrives. Whether you have strawberries, shelling peas and tomatoes or gladioli and roses, the wait for results can be agonizing to children (and adults!). Find recipes for great summer salads, freezing or making jams and jellies, or plan bookmarks and art projects for pressed flowers and leaves.

If you create an herb garden, have smelling and tasting parties at key points in the growing cycle. Try out different fresh herbs, and then compare them to how the dried versions taste, both from the grocery store shelves and your own dried herbs after harvest. Chives make a great plant for keeping on the windowsill in the kitchen. You can take clean kitchen shears and snip off the tops for a tasty topping to everything from baked potatoes to soups and salads, and the plant continues to grow without missing a beat.

“Always use things that are tactile and/or smell good,” says Jerome. “Plant things with fuzzy leaves like Lamb's Ears. And show the kids that root crops are cool-pulling up beets or carrots from green tops are thrilling!”

Better Boy tomatoes are my favorite, because I like tomatoes! We planted different kinds of Morning Glories and Moonflowers. The Morning Glories bloom in the morning, and Moonflowers bloom at night.