If you're looking for a perfect holiday gift for the kids or grown-ups on your list, or perhaps one that they can share together, Sharon Lovejoy's wonderful book, “Roots-Shoots-Buckets & Boots” is a great choice.
I love the idea of adults and kids working together on a project—and what better one than a garden adventure. Lovejoy presents 12 joyful, easy-to-do ideas for theme gardens that parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents or any other combination of adult and child can do and grow together. She provides step-by-step instructions and activities and enhances each with her own delightful watercolor illustrations to motivate one to jump right in and create.
Each garden involves a plan or “planting recipe”—including everything needed to grow the particular “theme garden”. Seeds, seedlings and growing instructions are all clearly presented and spelled out. How does a “Pizza Patch” sound? Here one creates a giant wheel garden planted in “slices of tomatoes, zucchini, oregano, and basil. Another beautiful garden idea to implement is a Flowery Maze to walk and get lost in.
While we need to wait a bit for most of these gardens to be planted—we all know that half the fun about gardening is in the planning and dreaming phase during the winter months. Reading this book I found myself doing just that! And, if you're a teacher or are helping plan and implement a school garden—this book is invaluable. Not only is this a great introduction for kids to the world of gardening, it also provides multiple aspects of gardening that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike. Organized so that the reader can navigate to specific areas of interest, the book addresses the many skills, facts and possibilities that are a part of successful gardening.
So, curl up with your favorite kids, open this lovely book and begin dreaming and planning together.