GUEST POST BY TERYL CIARLO

Gardening is all about building memories with loved ones.. so what’s more special than bonding over a special afternoon in the garden & giving yourself a gift to enjoy for months!

Check out these inspiring ideas to build fun & memorable gardening memories, whether or not you have a green thumb, live in the city or suburbia.

7 Tips for Fun Family Gardening

1. USE A TRAY OF FRESH LEMONADE AND COOKIES AS BAIT, and talk the entire family into gathering in the garden. Have an assortment of herbs and veggies ready to plant (like tomatoes, basil, corn, and zucchini,) and enjoy making memories and unforgettable conversation together as you bond over creating a beautiful summer garden. Have everyone back over to see the progress and to pick your bounty!

2. KEEP THE FAMILY SMILING FOR MONTHS (and clear schedules for the 4th of July!) by planting giant sunflower seedlings in the garden, so that the sunflowers are big and gorgeous by Independence Day. It’s impossible not to be overcome with joy around sunflowers.

3. LIVING IN A CONCRETE JUNGLE IS NO EXCUSE to deprive your family the joys of gardening. Many neighborhoods have community gardens that you can tend to and rehab, and don’t underestimate the beauty and convenience of pots, planter boxes, and raised garden beds. It’s amazing how much of an impact even just a hint of greenery can make in the middle of the busy city, and creating a mini garden will give the entire family a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

4. CREATE A NEW TRADITION THAT LASTS NOT ONLY IN THE GARDEN, BUT IN YOUR MEMORIES AS WELL by getting everyone in the family to leave their footprints in rounds of plaster, creating a path out of everyone’s footsteps, then paint each round with a pearl craft paint. The project will not only be a fun activity to do together, but will remind everyone of the love they shared in the garden that they created together!!

5. FRESH HERBS MAKE ANY KITCHEN FEEL READY FOR A FEAST AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, so why not package them up in a pretty display to enjoy indoors all year? Pour some wine, gather the family, and create a kitchen herb garden together. Line an old basket with plastic, add soil and plant food, and a few of your favorite herbs. Throw in some edible flowers or strawberries for extra beauty, and set up in the kitchen window or as a centerpiece during family dinners and celebrations.

6. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN THAT DOESN'T NEED ANY TENDING, INVITE THE FAMILY OUT FOR A STROLL TO RELAX IN THE SERENITY OF NATURE'S BEAUTY. Bring a basket and collect flowers for the dinner table, or bring several baskets and create a few flower arrangements for each family member to take home. Every great gardener knows the healing powers of picking flowers!

7. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...IT MIGHT SEEM SIMPLE, BUT MAKING FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMONADE TOGETHER IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO BOND, and the entire family will enjoy the result! If you have a lemon tree, grab your hats and baskets and pick a large selection to bring inside. If you don’t have a favorite lemonade recipe, just wing it - the silliness of seeing the taste tester’s face after sampling lemonade that needs more sugar is priceless and will have the whole family in giggles!

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Also…Gardening an hour a day keeps the doctor away. Did you know Gardening and working with soil reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves mental health and raises endorphin levels?

Another great reason to get your hands dirty!

Leading Westside Los Angeles Gardenista, Teryl Ciarlo of Teryl Designs, has many years of experience in the garden with a busy family. Growing up in Southern California, Teryl’s grandmother introduced her to the power of romantic floral arrangements, and the way gardening gathers people together. Ideas began circulating on how to marry these two loves of her life. “I remember how wonderful it felt being outside with my grandmother; growing flowers, roses, vegetables, and picking apricots from her tree. Her property even had a little barn. I realize now how lucky I was to grow up in those surroundings.”

Find Teryl on instagram @teryldesigns.