THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 6, 1995 TAG: 9508040083
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
FEW THINGS surpass the joy of helping a child plant a garden. Children drop seeds in bunches, step on the plants, plant everything too thick - and love every minute of it.
Especially the watering and the mud. When plants pop out of the earth, surprise and happiness fill their eyes.
At Children's Harbor-Old Towne, teaching children to garden was a high priority for former executive director Evelyn Green, who retired last year. Every year, 120 children ages 2 1/2 to 4 participate in gardening at the center, a United Way agency previously known as Portsmouth Day Care Center.
In addition, children up to age 10 who are at the center during the summer may also participate in the gardening, said Martha M. Williams, who succeeded Green as executive director.
``Gardening plays a key role with children,'' Green said. ``It's a joyful event. Children enjoy planning the garden, preparing the soil, seeding and transplanting, weeding, harvesting and eating the produce.''
In 1992 the garden project won a grant for excellence from the National Gardening Association.
Gardens at the center on London Boulevard include herbs, vegetables, fruit and wildflowers. There also are some specialty gardens such as a grape arbor, mountain glen, hummingbird garden, butterfly garden and a ``very cheery-berry place.''
The gardening process takes the children through all the stages, from preparing the soil to harvesting and eating the vegetables, which include corn, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, beans, okra, cucumbers, beets and squash. Green said the children taste all vegetables raw, before they are cooked in a variety of ways.
The children also learn about compost piles and greenhouses. And the garden is used as a teaching tool for grammar, math and art. The children, for instance, learn to understand words such as ``ripe'' and ``raw''; they're asked to count the seeds in their hands; and beets are used as a dye in art lessons.
Williams says, ``This program further enriches a beautiful and exciting outdoor environment that invites children to run, climb, jump, leap and play in sand, soil and water to learn and appreciate as well as enjoy the beauty of nature.''
Part of the program's success is credited to community participation. Volunteers like Lamar Brown, a grandfather who enjoys gardening, work with the children. Similarly, businesses donate garden supplies to the center each year. If interested in helping, call 397-2981.
It's nearly time for planting fall gardens, so find an interested child and get digging. It's a rewarding experience and will teach lessons that last the child a lifetime. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ROBERT STIFFLER
Evelyn Green helps children work their gardens at Children's
Harbor-Old Towne in Portsmouth.
by CNB