I think it’s safe to say your toddler has been bitten by the gardening bug, when he demands to check on his “peeeeeasssss pot” in the garden – in the middle of a downpour.

Sonny Jim was sent a box of gardening goodies by Dobbies as part of its #getthemgrowing campaign during National Children’s Gardening Week (May 26-June 3.)

The aim of NCGW is to encourage parents across the UK to get their kids outside and growing.

It comes as new research conducted by Dobbies shows that 61 per cent of parents believe gardening is a good way for their children to learn more about the natural world around them while still having fun. But common gardening knowledge seems to be lacking.

One in seven children do not know that onions are vegetables, and similarly 14 per cent don’t recognise potatoes as vegetables either.

Sonny Jim is just two. So, I’m not too worried about his vegetable knowledge at the moment.

But I don’t think it’s ever too early to foster a love of the outside.

We don’t have a particularly big garden. Nor am I particularly green-fingered. But our little patch is lovingly tended – and this year Sonny Jim has started to show some interest too.

He really enjoyed planting some peas in the terracotta pot sent to us, in the sunshine over the bank holiday. Each pea was prodded into the soil by a chubby little finger, and straight away he was back demanding, “one more peeeeas, mama. One more.”

I can’t wait till he can actually pick them (that is, if I manage to keep them alive long enough!)

Last year, he positively devoured our strawberry patch and I adored watching him plucking ripe berries and popping them straight into his mouth, juices running down his chin.

But for all that I couldn’t believe that, when the storm hit yesterday morning and torrential rain was running down the window, Sonny Jim was there at the back door. Boots in hand. Demanding to see his “peeeeeeas pot.”

Looks like this fair weather gardener may have to up her game…

As part of the National Children’s Gardening Week, Dobbies is running a special Little Seedlings Club on Sunday, where little ones will get to personalise their garden by planting seeds in the shape of their initials, then take them home to watch them grow. Free to attend, sign up and find your local store and event times here