--
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect." Chief Seattle

"Carolyn LeCrone" wrote in message
...
Where can I find ideas to use with 9 year olds, in a classroom, to foster
the love of gardening?

Idea's aren't hard. It's the end of summer. Go to the city library and get
current issues of Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Organic Gardening, Gardening
How To or Garden Gate. Or all of them. They're focasing on October right
now. There are also books regarding children and gardening you can search
for on the internet under Google search, or Web Ferret or ask Jeeves.

Like I said, it's the end of summer. You could invest in some spring bulbs
at Walmart, or Big Lots, or possibly the Dollar Store, some inexpensive bulb
planters or some good hefty trowels. Sears aluminum trowels are about $2-
$3 each and are guaranteed for life. LIFE. Three or four would be good
along with some inexpensive bulb planters at the dollar store.

Get with the Principle and designate a safe and untrampled spot for a
spring garden. Talk about how perfect bulbs are (so are seeds, they are
miraculous). I once showed a 5 year old who was climbing the display racks
at the older Lowes while his mother was frantically trying to pick out some
loose bulbs and keep an eye on him at the same time how neat and magical
bulbs were.

I had him pick out a bulb in the crate, and then I told him the story about
the sleeping flower. That if planted at the right time, would wake up and
bloom near his birthday (which happened to be in March). I then showed him
the special tool that it took to plant the bulb and by that time his mother
realized he had been climbing up metal shelves and saw him all hunkered down
inspecting bulbs with me.

We picked out a few spring bulbs for him to plant, and when I ran into this
lady in town where I lived at the time the next spring, she informed me that
he had not only helped plant the bulbs, but ran out every day after January
to see if his flowers were waking up. And was thrilled when the first shoots
of the leaves started poking up from the soil.

If you call Horticulture magazine (1-800-234-2415) or Fine Gardening
Magazine (1-800-283-7252) or Organic Gardening magazine (1-800-666-2206 or
possibly 1-800-914-9396) and ask if they would contribute a few issues that
deal directly with children and gardening, I'm sure they'll comply with your
requests. Children encouraged to garden represent our future in more ways
than one. I salute you in your endeavors. (you can also check with your
local Extension agency and see if they have Master Gardeners who come to
schools.) Or if any local gardens or Arboretums have potential field trips
that would be fun to take them on.

I know my friend once went to a second grade class and showed all the
children how to start a little greenhouse with clear salad boxes she had the
teacher hand out that she'd saved up for a few months, and brought in the
soil less mix and some variety of seeds for each child to pick out. she then
talked with the children about gardening and seed starting, each child
picked out a package of seeds (she said she got them for 10c apiece at Big
Lots the previous Spring and kept them sealed in a ziploc in the fridge
until school started and she went into the class the first part of
February), she showed them how to make their own little personal greenhouse
out of the salad boxes, and they labled the boxes, and she showed them how
to plant the seeds. (she also picked 90% viable seeds, to make sure
everyone had no frustrations at lack of germination).

When they were finished making and planting the little greenhouses, they set
up a folding table near the windows in the room and she said she'd return in
a month to show them how to go the next step upwards. By the time the
plants were ready for the outside gardens the teacher had gotten permission
to plant in, the children knew how to start seeds, how to mostly keep them
alive, how to share if someone's seeds died because they didn't water them,
or if they got the horrible disease, Mr. Damping Offingheimer(that was cute)
and by May, pretty much every child in that classroom had a flower, or a
vegetable they were excited about.

I went a step further and asked her recently if she had ever followed up on
any of those children she'd talked and worked with that year on seed
starting and upkeep. She said out of 38 children in that class, 19 went on
to be serious about gardening, meaning raising flowers or vegetables on a
regular and seasonal basis. 29 children maintained and had houseplants, Nine
went on to take horticulture in college, with two saying they were inspired
by those simple little things she did as what motivated them to go on
towards gardening and horticulture on a more serious end. And as a bonus,
the teacher she did the presentation for, went on for the next ten years
doing the same thing, only telling the children to save their own salad
boxes to bring to class and managed to turn the classroom greenhouses into a
home based project to be brought back to school for results in the early
spring to plant in the designated teaching garden. The teacher said she
noticed that the patience it takes to nurture seeds and keep them alive and
growing to become whatever it's purpose is, taught children more than she
ever could have hoped. It taught them patience and about some of the
mysteries of life. How neat! I wish you all the best in this incredible
task. I hope this gives you a couple of ideas. Keep me posted on your
successes!
madgardener up on the ridge, back in fairy holler, where now I teach
customers who are interested how to nurture and grow their plants they buy
at the nursery.......in Eastern Tennessee zone 7, sunset zone 36
I have lots of ideas for Spring and Fall, but winter
is a problem
Carolyn