Chilly Weather, Warm Hearts

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers 

where I can walk undisturbed.  ~Walt Whitman

     This mornings meeting met our group with the chilliest weather we've seen yet. As we all gathered bright and early, we huddled together to keep warm and each spoke of the personal impact of the garden thus far. Everyone shared heartwarming stories of how the garden has changed their perspective and the indescribable feeling we each get when one of the children remembers your name and holds your hand or hugs you just for being there. It is amazing to witness the joy and excitement on their faces when they run to greet you and, without knowing much about you at all, attach themselves to you and ask hundreds of questions. The feeling really can't be put into words, especially when something in your lesson seems to have scattered over being noticed and without expectation, is remembered when you see the students again without any reminder. 

     After our meeting  I walked about the garden noticing the bounty that had sprung over the week that needed to be harvested: squash blossoms, okra, cilantro,  and lettuce. Squash blossoms, an amazing treat if you've never tried one, taste (to me at least) reminiscent of a spicy queso cheese. I harvested a few and set them aside for my morning class to sample.

     After our lesson on bugs in the garden was completed I handed out the tasty treats, showing what part of the squash plant they originated from. The kids were beyond excited to eat flowers and with no lack of hilarious faces decided they weren't the grossest thing in the world to eat.

 

    The kids noticed all the baby veggies beginning to sprout on our way back from the squash bed. They especially loved the baby gourds and tomatoes.

      Later that day I continued the lesson on bugs with mine and Tristram's afternoon class. The kids were rowdy and were all excited to get their hands on a shovel and dig for bugs! Below I've shared a video that can better describe the amazing capacity the students have for retention in learning. Even the hard words like abdomen or thorax seemed to jump right out of their mouths as if they were born with an instinct for bug parts. 


     I love the experiences I have at the garden. It's amazing to know that the excitement the kids portray on their smiling faces is building 10 fold in me when I'm working and teaching. I don't think any other experience could match it.

** grubs also turn into beetles :) Just to clarify **