Fall is the best time to garden in the Arizona desert, especially with kids. The weather is finally nice enough to be outside, and it’s our most productive growing season. With warm days and cooler nights, it’s the perfect time to plant and explore the garden together.
Why Fall Gardening Is Ideal
Summer is tough on both plants and people in the low desert. By fall, we’ve made it through the hardest part. The air starts to cool, but the soil stays warm, the perfect conditions for seeds to sprout quickly. That means faster results for young gardeners and a more enjoyable time in the garden for everyone.
Gardening by the Desert’s Calendar
Most plants don’t love the extreme heat of summer, but the good news is we can grow almost year-round in the desert. Fall is a great time to teach kids that growing seasons aren’t the same everywhere. While gardens are winding down in other places, ours are just getting started.
Teaching Arizona’s Seasons Through Gardening
Gardening helps kids see that seasons aren’t just about weather. They shape how we grow, harvest, and eat.
- Track soil temperature: Use a soil thermometer to see how it cools as the days get shorter. Compare it to a planting chart to see what’s ready to grow.
- Keep observation journals: Let kids track plant growth, bugs they spot, and how the garden changes with the weather.
- Compare with other climates: Look up what gardeners are planting in colder places and talk about how it’s different here.
Kid-Friendly Fall Crops
All of these cool-season crops can be planted directly from seed, making them perfect for kids to plant themselves. Watching seeds sprout and grow is part of the fun.
- Radishes: Fast growers, ready in just a few weeks
- Carrots: Like pulling up buried treasure
- Lettuce and spinach: Easy to pick and eat right from the garden
- Peas: Fun to plant and build trellises for; large seeds are easy for small hands
- Nasturtiums: Big seeds, edible flowers, and pollinator-friendly
Creative Garden Craft: Shadow Art with Garden Pigments
Use the garden as your inspiration and your art supplies. This simple project is my favorite. No paint or fancy materials required.
Let the sun cast shadows of flowers or leaves onto your paper and trace the outlines. A clipboard helps keep the paper steady. Then use real petals, leaves, and grass to color in the shapes by pressing or smearing them onto the paper. The natural pigments create beautiful, earthy prints that are completely unique.
This idea was inspired by a viral garden video. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth looking up for a little extra inspiration. It’s fun, easy, and a great way to see your garden in a whole new way.
Angela Judd is a mom of five, desert gardener, educator, and creator of Growing in the Garden, a platform that helps people grow food and flowers in hot climates. Based in Mesa, Arizona, she teaches gardening classes, shares seasonal tips online, and believes gardening with kids is one of the best ways to cultivate curiosity, patience, and a love for nature.
