Growing Together: The Joy of Family Gardening
In Collaboration with Priscille Joseph
There's something quietly powerful about watching a child experience a garden for the first time. The excitement of picking mint for tea. The curiosity of smelling lavender between their fingertips. The pride that comes from harvesting basil they helped grow themselves.
Gardening, at its heart, becomes less about plants and more about connection.
To share the importance and benefits of involving kids in the garden, we collaborated with Priscille Joseph whose approach to gardening blends mindfulness, learning, and everyday joy in a way that feels both grounding and accessible for families.
About Priscille Joseph
Priscille is a Wellness Designer, Educator, Author & Illustrator, Certified Ergonomic Office Evaluator and founder of Atelier Maison Verte; a nature-based creative studio that focuses on providing botanical experiences and ateliers. She is also a passionate advocate for sustainability and intentional living. Whether she's designing a wellness-focused workspace or leading a hands-on planting or propagation workshop, her mission remains the same: bridging wellness, sustainability, and design. Gardening has become an important part of her lifestyle because it creates space for slower living, hands-on learning, and intentional moments outdoors with family.
Priscille's Family Garden Tips
"I love gardening with children because of the wonder and joy found in their faces and hearts. This year, I decided to put an emphasis on edible gardening to create a stronger connection between wellness and food. Children are often much more curious and willing to try herbs, vegetables, or teas when they've helped grow them themselves. Even something as simple as picking mint for tea or harvesting basil for dinner can turn into a fun learning experience.
I intentionally included sensory herbs like lavender, mint, and thyme because they allow children to interact with the garden through scent, texture, and taste. It makes gardening feel immersive, allows for connection to nature and encourages curiosity and learning.
I think small-space gardening is especially important for families because it shows that you don't need a large backyard to create a meaningful garden experience. I grew up in a downtown city apartment and I know this to be true. Container or planter gardening makes it possible to bring nature into patios, balconies, and urban outdoor spaces in a way that still feels intentional and impactful.
Another important part of this garden design was creating a space that supports pollinators while also teaching children about how plants and insects work together. Including pollinator-friendly flowers and companion herbs opens the door to conversations about biodiversity, ecosystems, and caring for the environment.
Gardening also creates an opportunity to slow down as a family and make memories. The reality is that we live in a screen heavy and fast-paced society, gardening encourages us to spend time outdoors, observe seasonal changes, and create small rituals together, whether that's watering plants in the evening or making herbal tea from herbs we harvested ourselves."
- Priscille Joseph
Why Gardening With Children Matters
Inviting children into the garden is about far more than keeping them busy outdoors. It naturally becomes a hands-on classroom filled with small, meaningful lessons that stick. When children garden, they begin to understand:
- Responsibility through caring for living things daily
- Patience while waiting for seeds to sprout and plants to grow
- Confidence as they successfully grow something from start to finish
- Curiosity for nature by observing insects, soil, weather, and seasons
- Healthy habits through growing and tasting their own food
Most importantly, gardening as a family creates shared time that doesn't feel rushed or distracted, but instead simple and exciting while working together.
"When children can touch, smell, harvest, and care for plants themselves, gardening becomes an experience they carry with them long after the season ends." - Priscille Joseph
A Note From Our Collaboration with Priscille Joseph
Working alongside Priscille Joseph on this piece has been a reminder that gardening doesn't need to be perfect or polished to be meaningful. It just needs to be present. She brings a thoughtful, approachable lens to gardening with children that encourages slowing down, letting kids lead, and embracing the small surprises that happen along the way.
Watch Priscille Build Her Edible Wellness Garden
[WATCH HERE] + Follow @priscille.joseph to see more great content!
Books That Inspire Young Gardeners
If this approach to gardening with children resonates, Priscille's work goes even deeper into making plant education accessible and joyful.
- Her book ABC Houseplants is a beautiful introduction to plant care in a way that feels simple, visual, and engaging for all ages.
- Her upcoming release, My First ABC Book of Wellness Herbs, is set to introduce children and families to the world of herbs through wellness and is coming soon!
Bringing It All Together
Family gardening doesn't need a big plan or a perfect space. It just needs a few seeds, a bit of soil, and the willingness to explore together. With guidance from voices like Priscille Joseph, it becomes less about "teaching kids to garden" and more about growing alongside them. And that's where the real magic tends to happen.