The garden is a hands-on, unconventional classroom that makes learning more fun

The garden is a hands-on, unconventional classroom that makes learning more fun
                        
Everything I know I learned in my garden. Well, not everything, just the important things; the garden does teach in a number of ways. It teaches patience and perseverance. It teaches us to nurture and to be kind. It teaches us about strength and endurance. It teaches us that failure is not the end of the world and that one success does not mean that others will follow easily. It teaches us that rain barrels left full in winter will burst, and it teaches the importance of bending at the knees. The garden can serve as a nontraditional classroom for children and adults. There is science in the garden through measuring, observing, comparing and testing. From soil to seeds to tools, there are plenty of gardening activities that enhance learning far beyond any textbook. The garden shows us that all life is connected and we are a part of something bigger than we can even comprehend. The garden stretches from the sun to deep within Earth, where systems cycle in seemingly magical ways. Science is more fun in the garden. Social studies is in the garden. Gardening requires cooperative working skills, increases self-esteem and can become a lifelong hobby. The garden can be the start of an agricultural occupation or a place to learn about agricultural economics. Promoting civic competence is more fun in the garden. Language arts is in the garden. We can read about the garden. We can write about the garden. Many a poetic word was inspired by the dew on a young flower, the weightlessness of a butterfly wing or the scent of freshly turned earth after a summer rain. Gardens are meant to be documented in a journal and referred to later for reference and recollection. The garden adds an entirely new lexicon to everyday language and includes terms like deadheading, hardiness zones, soil type and pH. Artichoke, arugula, anemone, and aster beg to be uttered and can be when you include them in the garden. The back of a seed packet contains all the information you need to be a master gardener. Sort of. The garden teaches us physical fitness in the form of walking, lifting, carrying, digging, planting, raking, dexterity and balance. Gardening is hard work, but so is working out at the gym. The garden requires no membership fee, and you cannot get homegrown tomatoes at the gym. Exercise is more fun in the garden. Math is in the garden. Throw away your pocket protector. You won’t need it here. Turn your shovel handle into a yardstick and learn to measure water by counting. You won’t even know you are using basic math in the garden because amongst the cauliflower and cabbages, it just seems like common sense. Math is a lot more fun in the garden. There is health in the garden. Beyond the exercise you get putting in, maintaining and harvesting, you also get fresh air, fresh herbs and vegetables. People who garden tend to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Gardening allows you to connect to nature and that is good for your mental health, something that is too often overlooked. There are no tests in the garden. That is good for your mental health, too.


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