Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/growing-cukes-in-an-urban-classroom/5026665/
*Photos can be found in the pdf version of this article.
Can cucumbers really grow in an urban setting with no real space for a garden? Much to the delight of these children and their teacher, the answer was a surprising, “Yes!”
Sheila had a desire to garden with the children in her class, but was not sure where to begin. She had grown plants in her home, but never vegetables, and certainly not with children.
“What if nothing grows, what will I tell the children?” she worried. But, she had heard others were successfully gardening with children, and Sheila wanted to give it a try.
Sheila joined a six-month online series, “Gardening with Children,” sponsored by the Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative for Children. Each month, she learned a little more about where, when, and how to grow vegetables. She asked her children what they wanted to grow.
“Everything!”
But with no actual green space, they agreed to try cucumbers. They started by planting the seeds indoors and then transplanted them into pots placed next to the fence. Each week, the children watched as the seeds sprouted tiny leaves and wrapped themselves around the wire fence. The vines twisted and turned until they were taller than ...