This summer, my daughters and I are getting our hands dirty, thanks to their schools and our city. We may live in an asphalt-dominated landscape, but with minimal effort we have found green spaces where we can practice the good, old-fashioned art of gardening.

My 4-year-old's school, PS 29, participates in the Garden to School Café program. Their vegetable garden, tucked in a sunny corner of the schoolyard, acts as science lesson, cafeteria supplier, and classroom pet. Science teacher Tina Aprea-Reres, featured in a July Daily News article about the program, maintains the garden as part of her curriculum, which extends into the summer months. Children help grow vegetables, which become cafeteria lunches in the fall. Last year, pesto was popular, even with those otherwise wary of green stuff. This spring, kids offered beautiful bunches of radishes from their own "farm stand".<!--more-->

I decided it would be fun for us to get to know the garden over the summer. The past two Mondays we have volunteered in its upkeep, which equals a little weeding but, mostly, lots of watering. The vegetable beds are fed from rain barrels, which were empty the first time we visited, necessitating trips to spigots on the other side of the building. Our arms were weary, but we were reminded of what a valuable resource water is. My daughters treasured the cucumber they picked. As warty and mottled as it looked, you would think they had found a candy bar, such was their eagerness to try it. It may be my imagination, but ever since that day they seem more enthusiastic about the vegetables on their plates.

We look forward to a session of PS 29's gardening "mini camp" in August.My 3-year-old has a similar program at her preschool in Red Hook. This winter, they started veggies from seed, scored a plot in a community garden, and planted seedlings once the soil warmed. Their teachers hold special gardening evenings throughout the summer. At the last one, kids got to stake beans, label plants, and water, courtesy of a fire hydrant hook-up. They dug through compost for earthworms then set them free in their little garden. Even bug-shy children held worms in their hands.In addition to teaching children about where their food comes from and empowering them to actually help grow it (and perhaps eat healthier), many of the city's gardening programs for kids are also free.

Though they may have waiting lists, community gardensare an excellent way for the whole family to get their hands in the soil. Kids can also visit urban farms such as Added Value and Rooftop Farms, which focus on education, sustainability, and local food ideals. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens offers great nature and gardening classes for kids; the Queens Botanical Garden has a Children's Garden, and there are year-round programs for families and children at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

There are also experiments at home. This winter we planted basil seeds in a pot in our window, and watched them sprout (alas, other herbs did not). We hung one of those upside-down planters outside our door, and are the proud owners of thriving, gravitationally confused tomatoes. The girls check on them every day, and with a mania usually reserved for lollipops, fight for the reddest, sweetest one.