Day 26 and a busy work day for me so less free time outdoors than I like. But I did teach several classes in the school garden today and for that I am extremely grateful!

Children and gardens go together; always something to touch,  taste,  explore,  watch and wonder at. Always changes to notice and lessons to learn. Strangely, I notice that adults often think that children are completely different beings to themselves. Thinking that they have completely different needs and interests. Of course we are different in many respects but where plants, nature and wonder are concerned,  we are all the same. It’s there and it’s part of us all.

My highlights today were:

1. being shown how to drink dew drops from Lady’s mantle leaves (by a 5 year old),

2. being instructed in how to make a crystal waterfall from its leaves (by a 4 year old who finds English a big challenge) and

3. helping another 5 year old offer the school secretary a salad of Hairy bittercress, which he had carefully weeded out from between our marshmallow seedlings and washed clean.

All of those children have issues which can make school a challenging place for them at times. In the garden they literally bloom before my eyes and build skills which help them to handle their challenges better.  It would be hard to give this job up!

Today’s meditation: What got you totally enthralled when you were a child?  What are your earliest nature memories?  Do you still do that thing, perhaps in a grown up sort of a way?  If not, why not and would you actually like to?

Today’s mantra: Everyone has a smiling little boy or girl inside.

More tomorrow from the orchards of Frankendael…