Do your children love to play in your vegetable garden or visit a neighbor’s plot? If so, summertime gives us the perfect opportunity to turn your backyard into a school yard!
Free local children’s gardening classes
In the month of July, Armstrong Garden Centers in North County is offering free, hands-on classes for children.
Susan Diviak, one of the horticulturists who taught the class last year, said: “Both classes enable children to learn about the life cycle of plants, and to really think about what plants need to grow. We will look at the plant’s roots, stems, flowers and vegetables.
“The kids always have lots of questions, and just love to dig in the dirt! When children learn how to plant seeds, they are on their way to becoming home gardeners. Our two kids classes are free with registration.”
- SEED STARTING AND MINI GREENHOUSES — Children will plant their own seeds and create a mini-greenhouse to take home. Explore the life cycles of plants and find out what seeds need to survive. (Wednesday, July 8, 10-11 a.m.)
- DIG INTO GARDENING — Children will explore the fundamentals of soil, learn parts of the plant, and look at roots, stems, flowers and vegetables. Participants will also create their own garden stone to take home. (Wednesday, July 15, 10-11 a.m.)
- Pre-registration is required for all classes. For information, call Armstrong Garden Centers in Carlsbad at 760-804-7330. Classes fill up quickly!
Activities for your young home gardeners
This activity is roughly taken from a curriculum I worked on as the director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program in Cooperstown, New York. Working with 10 other extension agents, we created curriculum for 25 elementary schools in rural, suburban and city areas that is still available at www.cals.cornell.edu.
This website provides lesson plans suitable for families or educators and includes such activities as Seed to Salad, Project S.O.W (Seeds of Wonder) and The Three Sisters Garden. Although initially written for schools in New York state, the concepts and lesson plans translate perfectly to a family’s summer garden projects.
PLAN AHEAD — Spend time with your children developing their garden vocabulary. You can easily find definitions online to add to their horticultural knowledge. The words you will explore include germination, photosynthesis and cotyledon.
Topic: Germination and growth
SUPPLIES NEEDED
- One package pole beans or snap peas — The lesson plan calls for any bean or pea of the climbing or trailing variety, not the “bush” type.
- Large plastic cups with lids (take-out coffee cups are perfect)
- Lightweight potting soil
- Two chopsticks
- Large ziplock freezer bags
- Index cards/Sharpie pen
- 12-inch ruler
PROCEDURE
- Make a hole in the bottom of the cups, and fill the cups with soil. Place lids under cups.
- Water thoroughly, making sure water passes through the cups
- Place a chopstick in the middle of each cup.
- Make a 1-inch hole for each bean, then place beans in the holes and cover.
- Place cups into freezer bags, allowing chopsticks to poke through
- Create a daily record with index cards and attach to each cup.
PLACEMENT – Place one cup in a partially sunny room, and the second in a dark cabinet or bookshelf. Be sure that the index card is attached to each cup.
Questions to ask:
- Which beans sprouted first?
- Was growth affected by light or darkness?
- Which bean won the contest of fastest growth and why?
- Check cups daily and record progress on index cards. Use ruler to measure the plants each day and record growth. Do not water until a sprout appears! Leave the plastic bag closed, opening each day to check progress. In two or three days a sprout will appear, at which time you can open bag, remove it and water the plant. Which beans sprouted first, those in the light or darkness?
- Allow the beans to grow vertically up the chopsticks until first leaves appear. Move both plants to a partially sunny outdoor location and continue to note progress on index cards.
- After two weeks you should begin to see a flower appear, and later a few beans.
- Discuss the success or failure of the project with your group.
Happy summer gardening! Send us your results at [email protected].
Jano Nightingale is a horticulturist and Master Gardener.
