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Green Conversations with an 8 Year Old |
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Om Namah Shivaya! One of the best things about being a parent is getting a glimpse of the world through a child’s eyes! It can be an opportunity to reflect on your own childhood and early discoveries, which helped shape your own interests and gifts. After a tumultuous 2020, a new job, a move, and settling into a new home, a wonderful dialog began with our son regarding a new garden, and making our surroundings more vibrant and full of thriving green friends. It may not be the most instructional conversation, but a child’s love of Nature comes through with a flurry of colors and whimsical ideas. The imagination is truly a wonderful gift! Enjoy this peek into Nicolas’ dream garden. Here we go: Anadi: What have you been doing the last 11 months to keep your heart happy, since a lot of your favorite places have been closed and you haven’t been able to see friends? Nic: Fishing and planting seeds. Anadi: What have you been planting? Nic: Beans, lettuce, carrots, and cat grass, of course. Anadi: Of course. I’m glad you remembered to plant for your cats, too. Do you think the cats will enjoy the sprouts? Nic: They help me check on the plants every day. Anadi: Now that we’ve moved to a colder region this winter, you’ve had to start your garden inside. Is there anything more challenging about beginning your seedlings indoors? Nic: I guess you have to check the soil more often inside. Because it can get dry. Making sure it’s moist is important. Anadi: And since there are two cats in the house, how do you keep pets from sniffing, chewing and digging in the new plants? Nic: I found one of our laundry baskets has holes in it, so I put it upside-down over the planter box. The sunlight can go through the holes and the fresh air, too. And the cats can’t get too close! Anadi: Did that work out? Did the seeds sprout without a problem? Nic: They sprouted super-fast. Anadi: Do you think you’ll migrate the plants outside when they get bigger or keep the garden going indoors? Nic: I’m going to move some outside and keep the cat grass inside. I really want to find out how big our carrots can get. I can’t really do that inside. Anadi: What’s your favorite plant to grow? Nic: Beans. They sprout fast and get tall. Tomatoes are harder and take forever to get ripe. |