Cultivating Community

by Tracey Hinchberger

My foray into the world of volunteer gardening began three years ago. At the time, I never expected it would grow into a wonderful opportunity to spend some quiet bonding time with my young daughter, nor did I realize it would produce a genuine feeling of pride in my daughter towards our community. 

A friend of mine had been involved in the creation of a new public garden in town, a large labyrinth set in a small river valley. The garden is an intricate length of path twisting and turning back on itself as the rows of flowers bordering the walkway flow through a rainbow of colors. While beautiful, it is an elaborate design requiring a great deal of upkeep.  The organizers were in need of several volunteers to help with the maintenance. Being a full time mom, I feel a desire to get out of the house on occasion and since I love gardening, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity. 

At first I considered the idea of having a sitter watch my two-and-a half- year–old- daughter, Maia; I couldn’t imagine taking her along with me while tending a public garden. Then I thought, why not? Maia had always enjoyed poking around in our flower beds at home. Besides, regular outings in such a beautiful, natural environment would be good for her. So on went the sunscreen and her little sun hat, and off went us with a spade and a bag of snacks. 

Initially I was worried about Maia’s ability to remain engaged in our gardening activities for an extended period of time. Toddlers are not known for their expansive attention spans. I was pleasantly surprised, though, and I found Maia was actually quite willing to participate for about an hour at a time. I was also amazed at the keen interest she quickly developed in the garden; it was somehow different than her curiosity about our flower beds at home. Even at such a young age, Maia seemed to have feeling of pride about helping out with a public space.   

Of course not every session was an hour of gardening bliss. Often Maia would sit on the sidelines enjoying refreshments while I toiled away. A trip to the adjacent butterfly garden was also a welcome diversion on occasion. I found what made things work was not to push Maia. I tried to be aware of when her patience had worn out and allowed her to explore a little rather than trying to confine her to our particular area. Bringing the potty chair along in the van was also essential. Outings never had to be cut short for toilet emergencies. 

At first, Maia’s involvement was limited to helping dead-head spent blooms and some haphazard raking of the mulch, but three years later she has graduated to supervised weeding and planting. Maia is very proud and actually somewhat possessive of our section of the garden, although she has to relinquish some control because this year, her three-year-old sister has joined us at the labyrinth. 

Similar possibilities to expose children to community gardening exist for families in most areas. Several cities have civic gardens with shared plots and volunteer gardeners who tend public flower beds. Your local horticultural society can advise you on what opportunities exist in your region. 

If you think that community gardening might be something for you and your child to try, keep the following tips in mind:

Always dress your child appropriately for the working conditions. If she is uncomfortable, her patience in any task will be limited. A pair of kid-sized work gloves will help to save tender little hands from injury and excessive messiness. And don’t forget sunscreen and a hat. 

Bring water and a light snack. Plan ahead for toilet breaks. 

Keep your expectations of your child’s ability to help realistic. Young children can assist with simple tasks, while older children and teens can take on their own small area of a garden. Be aware of your child’s attention span and respect when he has had enough. Forcing him to participate for longer than he is interested will probably lead to resistance to future outings. 

Give credit where credit it due. Praise your child for a job well done. Let her know that not only do you appreciate her efforts, but others who enjoy the space do too.  

What are the benefits for your child besides acquiring new skills and spending time with mom or dad? My daughter developed a sense of satisfaction in doing something for others, as well as feelings of pride in her community.  Her efforts were being spent on something that many people could enjoy. The praise Maia received from other volunteers and visitors to the garden was positive for her self esteem. Children who develop a love of gardening will undoubtedly also acquire a better sensibility for the environment.  And, if more families participate in volunteer gardening, the greening of neighborhoods, towns, and cities is a wonderful benefit that we can all share. 

Tracey Hinchberger is a full-time mom tending to two little sprouts along with her husband Mike. She is also the blog author of Dispatches From Behind The Apron Strings. 

image courtesy Tracey Hinchberger

Painted Lady Butterflies

by Lis Garrett

Sometimes children need a reason to get interested in what happens in the garden, so why not give them one? Let’s face it, there are those little sprouts for whom colorful fruits, vegetables, and flowers hold enormous appeal, and those whose interests are more focused on the less colorful aspects of gardening, such as worms and dirt. My six-year-old son is just such a person, but for what he lacks in floral appreciation, he makes up for with his love for all things buggy.  

Most children like butterflies, and luckily they can usually be found flitting around gardens-in-bloom. But in case your thumb is a little more black than green, you can still give your kids the opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures transform from caterpillar to butterfly.  

Providing your children with a butterfly habitat will give them a unique, up-close-and-personal view of a butterfly’s lifecycle. Insect Lore is one online shop where you can purchase a butterfly habitat and caterpillars, either together or separately, but they can also be found elsewhere. *You will receive a certificate to redeem for live caterpillars; they are not actually sold with the habitat.*  

After two weeks of watching their caterpillars grow, form chrysalides, and then hatch, my children released their Painted Lady butterflies into the open with great fanfare and appreciation. We even invited their neighbor friend over for the celebration, and it was awesome to see their genuine excitement!   

Insect Lore wants you to share the fun, too. Save 5% on your next purchase at www.InsectLore.com when you use the code “WEB5” at checkout.  

Lis Garrett wants to remind readers to keep the butterfly habitat out of your pet's reach. It was her cat, Louie, who "alerted" her to the newly-hatched butterflies! Lis is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout.

images courtesy Lis Garrett