Botany, cultivating your space
Dear Parents,
Seldom do I teach a Cogitania session myself, but today was a special exception as I decided to share my own garden with your kids, along the way discovering varieties of plants from tip to toe and how parks and gardens differ. The garden was very generous, sharing and revealing its' story to us.
When we purchased the house 17 years ago we found a “lazy garden”, evergreens and plants that simply grow, no matter what. The western side of the garden was simply hosting a driveway. Ask your kids what they found on their visit, it might be a little more interesting.
Two years into the purchase, I decided to make some changes, creating a dynamic garden that could express the four seasons! Your kids could only notice some of the summer dying: blue berry bushes, clematis, roses, and so on but with fall bursting around us, we got sight of Japanese maples, ferns, pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers ready to harvest. While we were at it, we enjoyed some tasty clover, kale, and tomatoes. We even studied bamboo with its traveling root system, ferns, herbs and more.
As we gained more intimacy with the garden we began to discuss the concept of a park versus a garden, imagined the root system of a garden, distinguished between a tree, shrub and vine. It was a pleasure to share the meaning of cultivating the space you live in to your children!
If your kids went home with any comments or remarks about their experience please share them with everyone here, on our Facebook page or drop me an email message. I would love to get their reactions.
See you at the Botany session on the 15th at 1PM!
warmly,
Joanna
Urban Garden
Here are the separate parts of my urban garden that the girls explored. As I was teaching the class myself, I did not have the time to make pictures of them as they were interacting with the garden which is a pity. They were as happy as bumble bees there!
What was once a driveway
By far the richest part of the garden was . We have explored the edible and not edible plants, examined the textures and smells of different herbs (mint, sage, rosemary, time). Some of them have tried to categorize the many species of plants growing there! They have even discovered food to eat!
Coloring the pavement
Each of these containers blooms in different times. It gives the mostly paved Allston some color!
Squirrels leave their traces
This is where the girls found food, kale! They ❤️'d it! Before them there were squirrels, you might notice the leafless sticks!
Front Entrance
Once just an evergreen garden, the front became a 4 season bloom with many types of ferns, a weeping cherry, and a weeping birch, 2 japanese maple trees and a towering pine tree. This is where we learn to distinguish between a true, scrub, vine and a single plant. If you take a look at the entrance gate, you will see how the listeria vine is clinging to a wood. We have imagined what would have happened if the wooden structure would be removed, we have talked about the secret life of the roots of all the plants in the front. We had a lot of fun!
Northern Part leading to Porch
The quiet space with bamboo whispering to the wind
Curiosity
Looking at the hibiscus we admired the beauty of nature's ability to create shape and color. Looking at the bonsai and the sunflower that seeded itself when it landed, we talked about the ways plants move to survive and live.