Nani's Corner - Planting Seeds and Watching Children Grow

There’s a treasure that might be just outside your door or perhaps inside that window that captures so much sun. Children can learn much from watching plants grow: responsibility, patience, planning, dealing with disappointment, and sharing rewards. I am a gardener because of my father, and I hope to pass my love of gardening on to my grandchildren. Here’s my story.

My dad was a gardener, and he wanted his family to love his gardens. My mother was allergic to just about everything growing in the yard, so he decided to pass his green thumb legacy to his three kids.  When I was about 11 he took me to one of his favorite stores, Charley’s Barn. It was full of used stuff and new oddities. There he bought a book full of colorful drawings of brilliant flowers and glossy vegetables. Attached to each page was a small packet of seeds. He gave the book to me, and I could hardly wait to take my new treasure home to open the packets. With dad’s guidance I raked up a long narrow garden along the curve of the street. We turned the soil and planted seeds from six packets  in rows as he had suggested. Then I waited. We watered the front lawn and garden together when the weather was dry. We watched seeds sprout and grow, bearing buds that I squeezed to see if they would pop into flowers.

Early one evening  a neighbor Mrs. Wallace was taking her walk as I watered blooms. 

“You have the most beautiful garden on the street,” she commented. I blinked. No response would come. “You have tall zinnias in the back, and little marigolds in the front, and those tiny white flowers smell so pretty.”

I must have murmured "thank you, Mrs. Wallace." I ran to bring my dad out to examine our amazing garden.

I was a gardener then and now.  Love of growing things was a gift my dad gave me. 

In May, Nani’s Corner will share the joy of ideas, activities and tips for family gardening! Get those shovels ready!