Martha Bellings asked her daughter where lima beans grow. "Silly Mommy, they don't grow. You buy them in the grocery store," said 4-year-old Karen. She believed lettuce, carrots and pickles came only from the store, too.

Even if you have never gardened before, take a deep breath and don some gardening gloves. Plant some of "Nature's Cuddlers" – plants that thrive with constant attention – if your child likes to be hands-on in the garden. However, if you plan on waiting for Mother Nature to do her thing, plant some "Stubborn Survivors" – plants that flourish even in drought conditions. Either way, dig in and grow something for supper.

Prepare the Soil
Before you plant anything, prepare your soil to ensure success. Plain old dirt, unfertilized and unprepared, needs a little help. Dig your plot to loosen the dirt, pull out weeds and remove rocks. Add about 2 inches of compost and mix it with the dirt. Have your child build a border around his new garden with rocks that you take out. Voila! Your garden awaits.

Nature's Cuddlers
These plants thrive with constant attention:

Scarlet Runner Beans – These lovely purple and black beans come shooting through the earth less than a week after planting. Nick the seeds anywhere with a sharp knife and soak 24 hours to encourage sprouting. Explain to your child that the hard shell of the bean needs to be softened and opened slightly so the plant inside can get out and grow. Plant them in a sunny spot, water them and fertilize generously. Build a tee-pee from old tent poles, or plant them near a fence and help them climb. Enjoy bright red flowers all summer on tall green stalks. Beans longer than an adult's finger can be picked for supper or left to dry on the plant. In autumn, let your child peel the colorful beans from their cocoon and store them for soup or planting next summer.

Parsley – Plant from seed in a sunny location and water often. Give your child a small watering can and allow her to water her garden twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. Explain that plants need water to grow, but too much water will drown them. Watch for caterpillars on your parsley. They love it, and if you let them, they'll find a place nearby to make a cocoon. Caterpillars are greedy, so if you want some parsley for yourself, remove them to a tree. Use parsley to garnish hamburgers or freeze for chili during the cold winter months.

Morning Glories – These flowers sprout quickly and climb vigorously. Plant from seed near a fence in a warm spot, and watch as they twine and curl upward. Water, fertilize and love them to your heart's content. Morning Glories flourish with pampering, so don't be thrifty with your attention.

Mint – Chocolate, strawberry, lemon, apple, spearmint and pineapple are all forms of the aromatic mint family. Despite mint's ability to cling tenaciously to life and challenge neighbors for space, it responds well to care and attention. Plant from a neighbor's cuttings, nursery stock or seed, and touch often to release the wonderful smell. Clip for topping on ice cram, dry for tea and cooking, or let them flower and watch delicate purple blossoms appear.

Potatoes – Plant a sprouting potato in a 15-inch pot filled halfway with potting compost. Make sure the shoots point to the sun and water generously. In about a month, green shoots will appear. Add enough compost to cover them. Keep adding as shoots appear until the bucket is full. After a while the plant will flower. Stop watering the plant when the flowers die, as the baby potatoes will rot if the soil is too wet. Wait until the whole plant dies, then tip the pot and see how many potatoes you have grown.

Stubborn Survivors
These plants flourish even in drought conditions:

Sunflowers – Plant seeds in a sunny spot near a fence or wall if possible. Sunflowers flourish anywhere. They can grow 8 to12 feet tall, so make sure you have room for the mature plant when sowing seeds. After the flower dries up and dies, cut off the heads, extract the seeds and eat raw or roast them for a crunchy snack. Save a few to plant next year, and leave at least one stalk standing for the birds to eat during the winter.

Onions – Plant onions from seeds as soon as the ground thaws. Don't worry about frost or the occasional snowfall. These plants love a challenge and survive almost any weather. Ignore them, and don't water too much. Pull them when they're young for green onions in salads or wait until the plant begins to droop in late August for bigger onions. Hang them to dry in a basement or garage and they'll last all winter.

Nasturtiums – These enchanting edible flowers will grow in a crack in the pavement if allowed. Their charming heart-shaped leaves trail along planters or act as edging for a garden. Ignore them; don't water or fertilize. The worse the conditions, the more flowers the plant produces. What child wouldn't delight eating leaf and flower in a salad they grew themselves?

Radishes – The fastest food in any garden: one month from start to stomach. Plant them inside or outside – in the ground or a container – early spring to late summer. Pick the ones with the biggest leaves first, and cut their little red heads into a salad or eat them right out of the garden. Really! Try it. If your little gardener is too nervous eating something out of the dirt, add them to a salad with Alexander's Ranch Dressing.

Cucumbers – The most prolific grower by far! These greedy plants take little encouragement to spread their vines. Plant them where they have lots of room to grow, and watch as bright yellow flowers and big green leaves appear. Send your child to the cucumber patch to hunt under leaves, and search for the delights growing just out of sight. Put the cucumbers to good use by making Fresh Garden Pickles. Be prepared to donate cucumbers and your homemade pickles to neighbors, relatives and passing strangers as these plants produce, produce, produce.

A whole world of learning waits for you and your child in your backyard or on the patio. Take your time, and enjoy watching her find a caterpillar or grasshopper. Teach her the difference between good pests and bad pests. Show her how to weed, so her plants grow strong and healthy. Best of all, the next time you ask her where pickles come from, she can point to her own garden.

Want to see more

• Indoor Gardening: Bring the Fun Inside!
• Outdoor Fun, Lots of Learning: Brave the Heat and Have a Ball With Your Toddler
• It's Raining It's Pouring – That Doesn't Mean It's Boring!
• Talk about it!