THE GARDEN

Northern Advocate, 22 May 1929, Page 3

THE GARDEN

‘ ‘.lll VEX ILK ACTIVITIES.”

Following is the complete text of a

paper upon "Juvenile Activities iu the Garden,” read by Miss Barker at the meeting of the Whangarei Gardening Club on Monday night.

i dou’t know, and I doubt if anyjone knows, where and when children interest in and love of gardening begins. Their reaction to the weather, laughing with the sun, fretful with the rain and terrified during storxus shows us observation even in very small children. And so, in their home surroundings, the baby knows and loves first his own family and then the domestic animals and pets. Later still, when he is able to roam a little, unobserved and in deepest secrecy he displays a keen interest in his father's or mother's garden by plucking the buds of the most prized plants, pulling up small plants, and causing any ferns or pot plants within reach to fall with the consequent damage known to you all.

However, by the time he is three, he should know that nnsupervised interference with the garden is on the "not done” list. He will love to "help” father pull out weeds or plant cabbages on fine days. One of my own earliest memories of my father, is that of squatting beside him assisting with the necessary but irksome task of weeding. I'm afraid I didn't know weed from plant, but that didn’t matter —they all went the same way. On one occasion he had planted out several rows of lettuce, but when looking at the spot several hours later, found them all lying on the ground. He patiently re-planted them, but again they mysteriously apparently uprooted themselves. This went on for some days, but eventually mother caught me in the act. After that the poor lettuces got a chance to behave as all self-respecting lettuces should. The curiosity of children often makes them a great nuisance, and in their keen desire to see all and know all, they, like Helen's babies who wanted to see the wheels go wound, often unwittingly kill the subject of their investigation. When cuttings are being struck, they must be pulled out daily to see if the roots are growing. Also seeds of slow germination are usually disturbed several times, and the inevitable disappointment follows. Young children should always have seeds of quick germination. They are very impatient of the result of the sowing, and, if they don’t attempt to unveil the mysteries of the birth of a plant they will lose all interest long before germination is evident. I have never met the inhuman wretch who in my youth was responsible,' for the penny seed packet. My pennies were often invested in a packet of forget-me-not or vkgiuian stock, but after weeks of patient watchfulness I was at < last convinced of the futility of waiting for those seeds to come up. It - took me many months, and caused me , many heart-breaks before I at last concluded that the penny packet was , to blame for the fact that my efforts were merely futile when I had hoped that they would bo fertile. The penny packet must ever remain one of life's disappointments in' spite of its spec- ■ taeular exterior. Now I shall endeavour to tell you what we do ami what we would like to sec done in the schools.

The subject is practical in botii senses of I lie term. It is an occupation which leads to greater manual skill and enthusiasm in successfully completed work. Yet. its theoretical side is not neglected. The children must understand the principles which underlie gardening practice. ■School gardening is closely connected with Nature Study and is not in any way regarded as a training for an industry. The children are led to believe in Nature herself as their greatest ally, who ivill repay their consideration with fruits in abundance.

Experimental gardening is a branch that is dealt with very successfully in most schools. Experiments to show difference in germination under varied conditions—fresh and stale seed, for instance, or cold and 'warm situation; the best manures to use for stated crops.. In these cases it is better for the children to choose their own materials, but owing to insufficiency of supplies this is often impossible; the benefit of cultivating, the suitability or unsuitability of certain positions, seasons, and other circumstances.

Children in the higher classes, when space will allow, are usually given .single or dual plots, i.e., one or two children —usually hoys—are given a plot. They are then responsible for the condition and production of the plot. Many of their experiments are carried out in these plots, each one representing one phase of the experiment. The tlowin' garden is often not divided, but is worked on the common plot system, all the children participating in the work. The garden which is connected with the Infant School is worked on this system.

| Fine days in the winter afford opportunities for digging, /weeding, leveling, top-dressing, etc., in preparation for the coming spring. Indoor work is mostly confined to the winter time and includes cleaning, oiling and repairing of tools, making, repainting and relettering labels, and experimental work in gardening. Tools provided are of a not too heavy type and the children are taught the proper care and use of these implements. Constant care is needed to keep them rust free. All ordinary common gar den vegetables are grown—peas, beans (both dwarf and runner), onions, Cabbage, lettuce and other quick growing greens.

| The children should kuovv the rough rules of succession in order to obtain a supply of vegetables throughout the year, and also the rotation of crops from year to year. The uses of manure and sprays are demonstrated practically, by means of experiments. The produce is often sold, the proceeds going to the garden fund for the purchase of seeds aud manures.

Hut the children’s activities should be devoted to aspects of gardening other than merely a mastery of technical fact and a certain degree of manual efficiency. It is the appreciation of the finished—if any garden is ever finished—product, and delight in making it a spot to please more than merely the sense of sight. That children do appreciate and love gardens and gardening is evident iu the fact that so many of the poems for and about children have the garden as the main theme in some guise or another. Children love what is beautiful and what is more beautiful than a little flower? This little poem is a favourite.

HOW I love the hollyhocks Standing tall and straight Like ladies dressed in white and pink Beside a garden gate.

How I love the poppies gay, Blooming in the sun; Then bowing their bright heads at night When their work is done.

How I LOVE the tall larkspurs, They are a lovely sight; Like maidens holding candles high Candles blue or pink or white.

How I love ALL flowers fair Outside our cottage door! Snapdragon folk or marigolds Aud half a hundred more!

Other's I may merely mention "Rain iu 'Spring,” "From the Garden in Spring,” "The Gardener,” "The Laburnum Tree.”

Children love acting to music. Most of this music is improvised, but must always be suited in time and rhythm to the subject. Thus we have the children giving their own interpretations of the gardener cutting grass; the boy with the wheelbarrow- —the music for this works up to a delicious squeaky climax; the butterfly’s l dance, and even cutting the hedge.

Bongs and singing games concerning flowers, fruit and gardens arc beloved. One, a first favourite, "The Little Brown Nut,” "The Gardener and the Scamps,” "Our Little Garden” —the words of this one are:

"This is the way we dig the ground, Dig the ground, dig the ground. This is the way we dig the ground, The ground in our little garden.

This is the way we sow our seeds, Sow our seeds, sow our seeds. This is the way we sow our seeds, The seeds in our little garden.

The third verse goes on to say, "This is the way we rake the ground,” and thus it goes on to the end—through the stages of germination and growth to the climax, in this case the flower, with thanks to the sun and rain.

The possibilities of the application of gardening activities to our lives in general- is a point of view that has to be brought before children. When they grasp this idea, no one rests at home or at school until this now goal is at last partially achieved. Beautifying the schoolroom makes direct appeal —I suppose because so many are anything but beautiful; window boxes are very encouraging, especially whoa growing nasturtium, Virginian stock or

other suitable bright flowers. If window boxes arc impracticable, window “gardens" cian bo arranged by a little manipulation of bulb? growing In pots or jars, quick-growing annuals and seedling trees in pots, Here the over-enthusiastic child is often too original. One little girl, thrilled with the idea of making a rockery, set about constructing one on her mother ’s new carpet. It was not until the plants had been tucked safely in the crevices and the whole thing wellwatored, that the havoc was discovered.

Children are encouraged to bring flowers to help in this scheme of beautifying, and to give opportunity for definite instruction in the cutting and arranging flowers in vases.

'Appreciation is a necessary adjunct to gardening, for if the children have no appreciation they would not rove gardening either for the love or gardening, or for the results qt their labours. We do not want them to grow up a race that knows not the love of gardens. The appreciation is there, and hand and hand with it should be a striving for perfection. The children must si rive continually for perfection, for is not the child the father of the man.’ The aiming for perfection in the child should bring some degree of efliciency in the adult. Has not gardening been suitable for all ages and stages since the days -of Adam and Eve, who were themselves created in a Harden 1 ?

All nations, all peoples, old men, little children, lovers, married men and maiden ladies each in their several ways an according to their individual methods of expression, being all humans, thank their Godin their hearts) for a garden, and the tending of a garden will continue to bring satisfaction to the v»enk and the strong, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, as long as ever the gracious sun and the gentle rain and the kindly earth—in a word all Xature itself—shall assist the gardener to leave the world a little better than ho found it, whether by an improved poppy or his effort to make a desert blossom as the rose, or by the reflected joy that the flowers nhd fruits of his labours have brought to hirtiSelf and to countless others.

Mrs Ackhurst brought up as a point for consideration that the Cordoning Club should provide plants for school children to encourage them to exhibit at the show Hearty votes of thanks to the speakers concluded the meeting.