Truly A Children's Garden!!

This slightly wobbly line of lovingly planted pea seedlings makes my heart swell with pride.  We had planted one together with one child digging the hole and the other squeezing the seedling out of the pot and putting it in the hole.  I realised that I hadn't got my camera and went back to the house for it.  When I returned there were three quarters of the row planted absolutely beautifully with the children working together to achieve it!  I was truly touched.  Although we do a lot of gardening together I sometimes wonder whether it means much to the children.  Yes they love to do it and are always very enthusiastic and hands on but it seems repetitive sometimes. Seeing this happen though reminded me that repetition is important for children as it is how they become competent at a task, and that the many times we have sown and thinned and planted on and watered really did have value for the children.  It isn't enough to plant a single sunflower seed once a year, children need to have a garden to really be involved in whether it is a series of patio planters or a little corner of the garden. The skill, absorption, co-operation, pride and ownership i witnessed was something special that I won't forget for a long time!