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  • From: Melanie <melaniev@optonline.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [gwl-g] Kids in the gardening
  • Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 10:41:01 -0400

We have first hand experience here with kids in the garden. My own belief is
that if they have magical times while outside in the garden, they will look
to recreate those feelings as an adult. I never make them weed or plant or
whatever. It might be reading a book in the hammock, having a picnic in the
hosta or painting rocks in the cottage garden.

This past week I had two experiences that made it all worth while. We had
scrounged pier pilings that were being removed from a neighborhood garden
and had them placed around our compost area. They form a serpentine wall,
with varying heights. Quite attractive for a compost heap! My 10 year old
and every other kid in the area have now claimed this as their
fort/castle/pirate area. The other day Emily said to me "Mom, I hope you
know we're going to use everything you put in that compost heap". Well,
that's the idea.

Yesterday I took Emily to a nursery and we walked through a huge area filled
with annuals. With a mass of color around her I told her she could pick a
few plants and flats and she could add them to her garden. She just
scrunched up her face and said "Mom, these are all annuals and I only like
perennials". When I took her to the perennial field she chose Thalictrum
aquilegifolium and a Heucherella "Bridget Bloom". "You know Mom, perennials
have pretty flowers but you should always look for ones that have great
foliage too".

>From the mouth of babes,
Melanie Vassallo
melaniev@optonline.net




  • [gwl-g] Kids in the gardening, Melanie, 05/23/2004

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