The saying goes... "as the garden grows, so does the gardener." That couldn't be truer for these kids spending the summer months at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It's the Children's Garden Program.
"Watching the kids pull a carrot out of the ground. The way their face just lights up and watching it go straight into their mouth," says Ian Williams, Children's Garden Program Educator.
Technically, they are here to learn the basics and foundations of gardening, but in reality, it's been so much more.
Williams continues, "So it's kind of different by the age group and it's my job as a facilitator and an educator to find out where they're at developmentally and what they get excited about and then kind of cater to them during the summer."
There's a weekly lesson plan that tackles topics like Photosynthesis, insects and pollination but after a little classroom time each week the three different age groups of kids direct where the day goes.
"The five to seven year olds, our mighty mites, are just in wonder. Most of the time our time in the garden is spent looking for frogs or snakes or following the butterflies around and stuff like that. And I totally roll with that because I'm still a kid like that," he says with a smile.
The seven to ten year olds can grasp some of the higher level concepts. Scavenger hunts and bug hunts help introduce some of the more technical topics.
"And then our garden chefs, I just basically give them a list and say these are all the things that need to happen in the garden today and they're just really autonomous."
And of course you can't plant seeds and grow veggies without harvesting and eating your bounty! This particular week... zucchini bread.
Although the lessons are rooted in horticulture, sometimes philosophy makes it's way in.
"I was just speaking with one of our garden chefs today and she said, 'I never feel like I get everything done in the garden.' She's very methodical. And I said, 'you know I'm the same way. I feel like a perfectionist in so many areas but when I'm with the plants good enough is good enough,'" says Williams.
Now by late summer it's ready for harvest. Beans, corn, kale! Both the gardens and the gardeners have sprouted, grown and blossomed.
The summer Children's Garden Program started with planting seeds in May and ended with a harvest celebration for gardeners and their families this past weekend.