Homeschooling parents, however, do not
have to display green thumbs in order to
successfully use gardening in their curriculum endeavors. Gardening re;ects
a basic principle of life through which
many wonderful lessons can be taught,
even without so much as a fraction of
an acre of land. Varieties of books, windowsill gardens in paper cups, and ;uid
conversations about growth and development can all be cornerstones of garden
curricula. We reap what we sow, both
in our beds of soil and as we teach our
children to grow, ;ourish, share boun-ties, and overcome the weeds, and homeschooling allows for the perfect combination of these elements.
I enjoy my own personal holiday
when the ;rst seed catalogue arrives in
the mail, somehow always just in time
to save me from feeling that the frozen
Minnesota winter will never cease. On
a random day in midwinter, I will savor the pages of color and lose myself in
thoughts of warm soil, sun, and the smell
that can come only from freshly turned
earth. ;en I get a homeschool mom
chill up my spine and an inspiration for a
lesson creeps into my frosty brain. Reading and watching ;e Secret Garden,
studying artists who painted ;owers, and
collecting building plans for more boxes
and perhaps birdhouses are all activities
that help open my children’s hearts and
minds to the beauties of gardens. ;e
anticipation grows until I do what homeschool moms do: I load the kids into
the van and venture to the library (and
sometimes the nursery) to begin another
chapter in our adventure.
“Build ye houses, and dwell in them;
and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of
them” (Jeremiah 29: 5).
Like those garden boxes, our homeschools o;er
our children their own personal space in which to
bloom, protected from intrusions, yet allowing their
own abilities and passions room to grow.
Seeds, Plants, and Gardens Booklist
Every great unit study in our home is not complete without a few wonderful
books. In fact, reading a good book can be the best way to start a unit study. ;ere
are numerous titles from which to choose, but a few of my favorites are included
here, some for each age and academic ability range. Whether you read aloud or
have independent readers, head out amid the plants and dive into a great book!
Titles for Young Readers and
Listeners
;e Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Oh Say Can You Seed? All About
Flowering Plants (Cat in the Hat’s
Learning Library) by Bonnie Worth
and Aristides Ruiz
Pumpkin Circle: ;e Story of a Garden
by George Levenson and Shmuel
;aler
Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole (and lots
of other versions about Jack and the
Beanstalk)
;e Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A
Book About How Living ;ings Grow
by Joanna Cole, John Speirs, and
Bruce Degan
;e Dandelion Seed by Joseph P.
Anthony and Cris Arbo
One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker
Lottridge and Karen Patkau
Berries, Nuts, and Seeds (Take Along
Guides) by Diane L. Burns
Dig and Sow! How Do Plants Grow?
Experiments in the Garden (At Home
With Science) by Janice Lobb
;e Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Sow and Grow: A Gardening Book for
Children by Tina Davis
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Titles for Older Readers and
Listeners
;e Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
Burnett and Sandra M. Gilbert
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts
Aston and Sylvia Long
A Fruit Is a Suitcase for Seeds
(Exceptional Non;ction Titles for
Primary Grades) by Jean Richards and
Anca Hariton
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing
Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by
Suzanne Ashworth and Kent Whealy
Seeds: Time Capsules of Life by Rob
Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy
(beautifully detailed images of seeds)
Chris is the mother of four children: Alexandria, Connor, Aidan, and Ethan, and
is supported on this homeschooling journey by her husband of more than sixteen
years, Steve. She received her degree in
Technical Writing and is a freelance editor and writer. Chris can be contacted at
techw@hickorytech.net.
How a Seed Grows (
Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Helene J.
Jordan and Loretta Krupinski
Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth
Wallace
From Seed to Plant (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by
Margaret McNamara and G. Brian
Karas
;e Complete Guide to Saving Seeds:
322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers,
Trees, and Shrubs by Robert E. Gough
and Cheryl Moore-Gough
Seed catalogues that come through the
mail—most are free of charge, have
great pictures and descriptions, and
can be used for art collages or labeling
purposes.
www.; eHomeschoolMagazine.com
