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Fun with Foliage
The Joys of Springtime Planting
By Penny Powell
Royce sees planting snapdragons as a perfect opportunity to teach children about pollination. "I've sat there and watched the bees do their work, flying from flower to flower, carrying pollen, which helps the plants form seeds to make new plants," she says.
Gardening with children presents an abundance of teaching and sharing opportunities. James has taught her daughters to take their gardening one step further. They use flowers, namely red petunias, to help birds. "We make sure to have a big pot of red petunias especially for the hummingbirds," James says. "They absolutely love the red petunias. We did a lesson about how the hummingbirds fatten up all spring and summer for their flight back to South America, so the girls and I help them out with a big pot of beautiful petunias. Their beaks fit in perfectly."
This spring, go ahead and start digging in some gardening dirt with your children, whether it be indoors or outdoors. "The gardening process will be so much more enjoyable for both of you if you can allow this process to be imperfect," Royce says. "Children might not have neat little rows of plants, and they will get their clothes dirty." But isn't getting dirty – and wet – half the fun? You know how children love to use that hose!