You could say that my love for gardening both as a backyard gardener and as a dad is deeply rooted. (Pun very much intended!)
As a gardener some of my favorite memories (maybe yours too!) as a kid are of being outside. Especially being with my dad or in my grandparent’s garden, shovel in-hand, putting something in the ground. As a dad, the perfect Father's Day (well, any day really) for me would be this. Spending time outside with our budding gardenistas, my two girls, and doing things like the following.
Enjoying nature and each other
Planning, planting, or harvesting veggies from our garden and talking about where real food comes from.
Freshening up our pots and containers.
Picking flowers to bring inside for Mommy.
Collecting eggs from our backyard coop. And watching our busy bees come and go from their hive.
Do. Play. Be.
If your dad (or hubby) is a gardener and you want to make this Father's Day special, try this. Create a day that's all about getting outside with him in the yard. And if you’re having trouble envisioning what that looks like, simply think in terms of Do, Play, and Be.
• Do. Offer to help your dad with a project that he’s been working on or talking about doing for some time.
• Play. Consider bringing the Father’s Day festivities outside and incorporate a classic yard game like bocce ball, cornhole, or horseshoes.
• Be. At the end of the day…um, literally…it’s all about being with your dad. So enter into his world and just be with him. Your presence will mean everything.
As a gardening dad, I know that a day like this will be one that your father will never forget. And who knows, you may just catch the gardening bug while you’re out there as well!
Take care all…and Happy Father’s Day,
Doug
Doug Scott is founder and owner of Redeem Your Ground, a landscape design firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. He also writes a family, home & garden lifestyle blog by same name with his wife, Brittany. Together their hope is to help others extend the walls of their homes outside to connect with family and friends in meaningful ways in beautiful, intentional spaces.