A garden of his own.
We only need one warm day and we are outside weeding, digging and planting. We only stopped for ice-cream, a trip to the plant nursery and school pick up. Spring is three days away and the sun is shining again.
Otis has new gardening tools to break in and a butterfly garden to plant. When he returned home from school Caspar chose to plant sunflower seeds. Lots of sunflower seeds, scattered through our garden beds. To surprise his dad he said.
.
Otis like most toddlers I believe, loves to garden. He loves to harvest his crop including carrots and strawberries. Flowers will be a little different and this garden will be a little different. It's a garden of his own.
.
I don't think it matters if it's a big old pot outside (this is a recycled wine barrel) or a small pot plant in an apartment - the principle is the same. It's about care, responsibility, ownership. Teaching, supporting the child to care, how to care for the environment, how to care for a plant. He will learn that he is capable. He will also feel pride, satisfaction and hopefully pleasure.
.
Otis selects the seeds, plants and waters (and over waters). The seeds will grow, he will admire, pick and arrange the flowers. I'm also hoping there will be some butterflies. By simply doing it himself he is learning. Such a very simple hands on experience.
.
But even one pot with one plant is better than nothing where there is no garden. A large clay pot can actually serve as a great ever-changing seasonal garden for the family, and is just the right size for the child to participate in gardening in the early years. - Susan Mayclin Stephenson, The Joyful Child.
.
Everyone can make a difference in young children's lives if they have the knowledge of the simple things needed. - Judi Orion in The Joyful Child by Susan Mayclin Stephenson.