Plant a pumpkinseed with a child, and cultivate wonder. This simple act of reconnecting with children with nature is Sharon Lovejoy's purpose and joy and gift. Author of Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages and Hollyhock Days: Garden Adventures for the Young at Heart, Sharon Lovejoy is a nationally known garden writer whose books, television specials, and projects at her learning landscape in California have introduced thousands of children to the pleasures of gardening.
In her newest book, Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, she presents 12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Illustrated throughout by the author's own lyrical watercolors, each garden includes a plan, the planting recipe -- seeds, seedlings, and growing instructions spelled out step-by-step -- and activities. There's the Pizza Patch , a giant-size wheel garden planted in "slices" of tomatoes, zucchini, oregano, and basil. A Flowery Maze to get lost in. A Moon Garden of night-blooming flowers, including a moonflower tent. And Mother Nature's Medicine Chest.
Discovery Walks teach kids how the gardens work, and a chapter on gardening basics includes a child-friendly 10-Minute Plan for planting and maintenance, plus a list of the top 20 plants guaranteed to make gardeners out of kids. Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots features 12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Sharon Lovejoy, an author, illustrator, lecturer, and teacher, is the children's garden adviser to the American Horticultural Society, and has been a guest on Today at NBC, PBS's Victory Garden, and the Discovery Channel. She speaks at conferences and gardening organizations around the country. She has four grandchildren, and divides her time between San Luis Obispo, California, and South Bristol, Maine. FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A MOON GARDEN:
f you think that nothing happens in your yard after dark, you're in for a big surprise. Magic happens and miracles unfold when you plant a garden with nightblooming flowers. Under a full moon, your garden looks enchanted, glowing luminously in the night. Critters you never see in daylight stop for snacks; some stay to raise families. And you'll be able to watch it all happening from behind the leafy walls of a vine-covered tent.
Fragrance is the color of night. When evening comes in the Moon Garden, pale flowers that look bedraggled and tired during the day lift their heads, open, and release their potent perfumes. Giant, fairylike moths slip from hiding places and follow invisible pathways of fragrance through the moonlight. Bats awaken, stretch their wings, and fly overhead in search of insects. Toads, frogs, glowworms, and fireflies become your guests. Spread out your flowery welcome mat and wait for darkness to fall.
MOON GARDEN--Ingredients
Inside the Crescent:
2 seedlings, jasmine tobacco
2 seedlings, evening primrose
2 seedlings, four-o'clocks
2 seedlings, evening-scented stock
The Borders:
2 six-packs, white alyssum
2 six-packs, white petunias
2 six-packs, white yarrow
The Tent:
6 seedlings, moonflowers
rope
5 6-foot bamboo poles or 2-by-2-inch lumber
Excerpted from Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy. Copyright (c) 1999. Reprinted with permission by Workman Publishing. Pizza Patches & Bean Tunnels
Projects to Cultivate Wonder
The simple act of connecting children to nature through gardening is Sharon Lovejoy's special purpose and joy. In her newest book, ROOTS, SHOOTS, BUCKETS & BOOTS, she presents 12 spirited, easy-to-implement ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Illustrated with the author's own lyrical watercolors, each project includes a plan and the planting recipe--as well as a "Discovery Walk," activities and crafts to make with what you grow. Introduction
TOP 20 PLANTS FOR
