Youth and Gardening

Vivien Wong, 15-year-old gardener and garden blogger

The theme of the today’s show is youth and gardening.

We speak with 15-year-old gardener Vivien Wong in New York State, who fills her small suburban yard with fruit and vegetables. She has been documenting her gardening journey with the goal of inspiring other teens to grow their own food.

Along the way, she won a prize at the fair!

“Anyone can grow their own food if they get some tips from other gardeners.” Vivien Wong

The Seed

Wong’s interest in gardening started in a fourth grade classroom. After the class grew plants from seed, every student was able to take home a plant. She chose a beefsteak tomato—and hasn’t looked back.

She has found inspiration on Instagram. “As soon as I joined Instagram, I discovered a whole new community of gardeners,” she says.

Kids Gardening

In the second half of the show we chat with Em Shipman, Executive Director of Kids Gardening, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to get kids gardening.

“It’s our job and our passion to support those people that we know are working really hard to provide important, meaningful education opportunities for kids,” says Shipman.

The Kids Gardening website has lesson plans, ideas for activities, and information about grants for community and school gardens.

Her top tips for people new to gardening with children and youth:

• Start small. If you haven’t gardened before, a few plants in pots might be a suitable start.

• Keep expectations low because learning happens even when it’s not visible.

• Things might not go as planned…but that’s an opportunity to learn and to ask questions.