Greenhouse miracles for young gardeners.

• Position: What's New? - Miracle-Gro Kids Gardening Sets

Gardening just may be the quintessential hobby. Unparalleled in popularity, it offers the opportunity for anyone with a little patience to become a do-it-yourselfer. Patience is necessary, of course, because everything in nature has its own timeline, but the rewards can be quite gratifying. Though kids, in general, are not long on patience, it is a practice that is best learned early.

Just right for budding gardeners, the Miracle-Gro Kids Gardening Sets from Peachtree Play things, Atlanta, Ga., allow beginners to put together a tabletop greenhouse and grow plants from seeds. The Ready, Set, Gro Greenhouse Flower Garden ($12.99) comes with everything needed to grow beautiful red zinnias, sunflowers, French marigolds, and coral zinnias.

Recommended for ages five and up, the first thrill comes when the youngsters add water to the Gro-Mix and watch the soil expand. They plant a few seeds in each of the four containers; place them in the Greenhouse; and wait. To help novices understand when to water, the Gro-Mix turns a light brown when it is dry; a dark brown color means it needs no additional water.

A colorful instructional pyramid explains the phases of seed...