NATURE-Gardening at Home --- with kids & family.

Subject: NATURE-Gardening--- with kids & family.  
From TR/ ARCHIVES -
Jottings year ending time--
I was seeing the never ending debates on TV from Copenhagen of Earth protection and finally switched it off. What has been achieved? Don't know really!!

I was then going through my albums and saw a pic of my grandson watering our garden with a hose when he was just 3 years old---- Also a pic of  cluster of April lillies grown by my sister in a pot -sheer delight to see;maybe will have to call it a surprise May Flower - as it bloomed in May...peak summer mind you! see pic.
 
Gardening can be great fun for grandparents, family and young children - and and an opportunity to commune with nature. Watering a garden, digging and helping is a part of SUPW in some schools and  is a delight  for a child of  any age. Watching a plant grow and a flower bloom is sheer joy- We used to study about Trees & Plants in middle school--- which then was simply called " NATURE STUDY"-(not  Botany) and it  it was  mainly outdoors as we had sprawling acres of grounds in our school -all wooded and filled with trees, bushes and plants- we used to call it our Woods -Jungle etc .

Then collect different kinds of  Leaves- -drawing it and preserving it in a book as it dried , softened and was smooth; used as a book mark sometimes- still do this till date esp with Bilwa leaves in prayer books.

Add nature study experiment like with a soft bean -and a glass bottle with water  lined with blotting paper done in class /home on  "GERMINATION" in 1954/55 Nature study class. Watch the sprouting.....

Nearly 3 decades later in 1985  wrote a research paper on "Raw Cashew shipment imports  from Africa"-  on moisture damage to cargo with sprouting on voyage on just a experimental basis wit the help of my Lab Chemist - and this set in motion many papers. The Raw Cashew claims review Paper was even accepted by the trade & local  Lloyds Agents appreciated this too.  

Nature Appreciation & meditation recd a great boost from several Existential Labs- attended in early 90s was  great experience- and place to get further inspired.

Why do we tend to forget it all as we grow up in in a tech-gadget  crazy world and stay indoors-
Space limitation is a silly argument- Even 5 plants in pots on a porch or verandah is a good gardening  start and brings in much beauty and joy. The ambience is also much improved. This project has taken off in Chennai with Veg gardens now after a family at Mylapore initiated the Project---on a terrace or balcony in Mylapore.


Frankly, feel this all helps more in Eco- protection- Earth Day -Environment -Green Peace and all-   and children also like this- Let this love of nature not be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life today?

Also, as the  poet said on Flowers " A thing of Beauty is a Joy for ever "
RGDS
TR