In the back yard of my childhood home, the left corner was my mother's garden. She had strawberries, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini and flowers. Not a huge garden but she enjoyed the time spent outdoors and we enjoyed the fresh produce at the dinner table. An apple and cherry tree provided tasty pies (a recipe that just does not taste the same as my Mom's) and jams each year plus homemade applesauce. YUM-OH!
April is National Gardening Month. I love gardening (mostly flowers, few vegetables) and it provides a wonderful teaching opportunity for the classroom. The photos above are former preschoolers. Check out---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/04/planting-seed.html
Green seed starters---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/05/little-sprouts.html
Great article on gardening with children---
https://extension.unh.edu/hcfg/Garden_Children.htm
Start in small area of your yard or some pots. Go to the nursery and look at the plants. Smell the herbs. Buy a clay pot and have your child paint the pot. Did your child love the unit on Van Gogh? Plant sunflowers. It's messy. It's fun but it's time well spent. Have fun gardening with your child this spring!
