Stephanie and Lilly Ward dig holes to plant lillies at the Watch Me Grow garden at the Kantzler Arboretum.

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Little Hands Help Create the "Watch Me Grow" Garden

June 10, 2012       2 Comments
By: Stephanie Meyer

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The east side of the Kantzler Arboretum is a little prettier today with the help of the Bay City Garden Club and a group of children who had their first official lesson on gardening.

Shelley Patterson, President of the Bay City Garden Club, took on the challenge of providing a hands-on lesson with the children, ages 2-5, on a variety of gardening topics such as identifying the parts of the plants, understanding how plants grow, pruning, and proper planting techniques.



"It may just take one encounter with nature that ignites an interest in gardening, plants, insects, photography, or the environment," states Patterson, "Starting at a young age to expose them to the rewards of planting flowers or vegetables can start a lifelong interest in landscaping and an awareness of the environment."

The children wasted no time getting dirty and digging holes for an assortment of plants that were generously donated by members of the Bay City Garden Club from their own gardens. "The joy of gardening is sharing your plants with each other and a great excuse to play in the dirt," says Patterson.



The children also planted sunflower seeds marked with a Popsicle stick with their name so they can watch the fruit of their hard work grow each time they go back to the park.

As the mother of 4 year old twins and participants, Stephanie Ward found the lesson very fun and worth-while. "The kids learned a lot and the volunteers were amazing," says Ward, "We can't wait to go back and see our sunflowers grow."

The group will continue to meet throughout the summer to maintain the garden and for additional lessons on weeding, watering, and more fun facts about plants.

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Community Article 7063

"The BUZZ" - Feedback From Readers!

chess5 Says:       On June 11, 2012 at 10:33 AM Stephanie Meyer has a talent for photography. Super Job. You gatta love those babies!

lablancejill Says:       On June 11, 2012 at 12:00 PM We check the garden at least 3 times a week. Today, we noticed that the sunflowers were coming up. This children's garden was a great idea!

Agree? or Disagree? Leave a Comment!

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Stephanie Meyer
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