. . . a garden to grow children . . .

Musings -

- I love beautiful gardens but I don't love gardening. I'm into 'lush' and 'full-to-overflowing', but no maintenance. There are so many other things I prefer to do with summer. Oh, I like things neat and tidy so I can get into pulling the weeds, cleaning the planting beds and sweeping the walks first thing after the weather warms and snows melt-but just once. I don't mind planting the annuals the week after Mother's Day (or maybe 'two weeks after' this year)-but just once. That's about it. I'd love dearly for a garden fairy to wave her wand and do all the rest a garden and yard require. (Sigh . . .)

- I love cooking with fresh herbs but our vegetable garden is about 60 feet from the house at the top of our sloping backyard, too far and out of sight to remember to check. The best spot in our yard for an herb garden (plenty of warming sun, close to our backdoor, in view of the kitchen window)is, for all the same reasons, the place we chose to build our grandchildren's Cottage. (Shucks . . .)

- Melynn planned her wedding reception for our backyard. The old sandbox next to the Cottage needed to be spruced up. I was ready to be done with sand from children's pant cuffs and pockets. It was the perfect spot for a darling cottage herb garden, so why not? Because it's right where our grandchildren play. (Hmmm . . .)

- What meaningful traditions can Eric and I share with our grandchildren, traditions that will strengthen our bonds through learning and sharing family values? (Let's see . . .)

What to do? I love it when disparate musings meld into the perfect idea! And that's just what happened.

The perfect idea - Design a Children's Garden to grow grandchildren as well as herbs. So we built, in place of the sandbox, a small cottage garden complete with framed planting beds, brick paths and window boxes . . .

We planned for space to dig and plant . . .

. . . freedom to play and discover . . .

. . . joy through harvesting the fruits of their labor . . .

. . . independence in learning new skills . . .

. . . satisfaction in sharing their bounty . . .

The wonderful results -

• No edging, just neat and tidy-check.


• No sand in the house-check.


• Perennials fill lush beds-check.


• The essential handful of annual herbs can be planted in about 15 minutes-check.


• Brightly painted flowers give instant color and whimsy without watering-check.


• Melynn and Tanner were motivated to build the boxes and brick path in time for the wedding (garden fairies)-check.


• The herbs and grandchildren are close for the gathering and easy to keep track of from our kitchen window-check, check.


• Children and garden provide hours of delightful viewing-check.


• The Children's Garden has become an extension of the 'make-believe' play in the Cottage-check.


• A wonderful family tradition has been born-check. It starts the week after Mother's Day and lasts until the first frost. We share with the Grandchildren the delights of planting and watching seeds grow, the sounds of humming birds feeding and blue jays bathing, the feel of snails and cool moist earth, the smells of orange blossoms and lavender, the tastes of honey suckle nectar and grapes picked fresh from the vine-and more.

• We're learning to patiently wait for the fruits of our labors.


• We're sharing the joys of a job well done.


• We're learning to try new things. This year we'll make hollyhock dolls and I'll tell them the story about their Great Great Great Grandma Carrie Roberts Passey who made my first hollyhock doll 47 years ago. We'll grow tiny yellow pear tomatoes and learn when they're just ripe for popping into your mouth, like my Grandpa Passey taught me.


• We're strengthening our family by working, playing, learning and serving together.

Yep, a garden to grow children is the perfect idea.