May 7, 2023
It’s the beginning of summer gardening in many parts of the United States! Between end of the year fundraisers, meetings and events, I’ve stolen every moment I can to be in my gardens. Like the children in my care, my mood reflects the season’s fast expansion: I want to be outdoors every chance I can get, digging and dreaming. We all have a growing joy that wants to burst out with the colorful blossoms outside our door.
Two of my older children, especially my 8 year old, are often in the yard with me, as they have been since they were young and we were living at Rose Rock School. Gardening is a daily part of life nearly all year long in Oklahoma. And while the winters are a bit colder and longer here in Kansas City, we still spend a large number of months outdoors. Working in the yard and garden is a natural extension of home and family life that can easily involve children and offers them great nourishment. My current school, City of Fountains, has a much more urban setting and we are working on extending our opportunities for gardening, but I sure do miss the days of being in a home-based program where we can dig in every day!
In the spirit of my delicious reminiscing, I would like to revisit a beautiful article written by Pamela Perkins several years ago: Gardening as an Integral Part of My LifeWays Care Setting.
I hope you thoroughly enjoy her article and find some inspiration to begin- or continue- involving the children in your care in gardening this year!
Cheers,
