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How Does Your Garden Grow?
Teaching Your Child the Art of Gardening By Julia Rosien
Morning Glories These flowers sprout quickly and climb vigorously. Plant from seed near a fence in a warm spot, and watch as they twine and curl upward. Water, fertilize and love them to your heart's content. Morning Glories flourish with pampering, so don't be thrifty with your attention.
Mint Chocolate, strawberry, lemon, apple, spearmint and pineapple are all forms of the aromatic mint family. Despite mint's ability to cling tenaciously to life and challenge neighbors for space, it responds well to care and attention. Plant from a neighbor's cuttings, nursery stock or seed, and touch often to release the wonderful smell. Clip for topping on ice cram, dry for tea and cooking, or let them flower and watch delicate purple blossoms appear.
Potatoes Plant a sprouting potato in a 15-inch pot filled halfway with potting compost. Make sure the shoots point to the sun and water generously. In about a month, green shoots will appear. Add enough compost to cover them. Keep adding as shoots appear until the bucket is full. After a while the plant will flower. Stop watering the plant when the flowers die, as the baby potatoes will rot if the soil is too wet. Wait until the whole plant dies, then tip the pot and see how many potatoes you have grown.
Sunflowers Plant seeds in a sunny spot near a fence or wall if possible. Sunflowers flourish anywhere. They can grow 8 to12 feet tall, so make sure you have room for the mature plant when sowing seeds. After the flower driesup and dies, cut off the heads, extract the seeds and eat raw or roast them for a crunchy snack. Save a few to plant next year, and leave at least one stalk standing for the birds to eat during the winter.