Learning in the Garden

The garden is one of my favourite places.

The positive aspects of gardening include therapeutic benefits (to body, mind and spirit), the learning of many lessons, the cultivation of a zen-like philosophy, the conception and growth of ideas.

I often come across my Muse in the garden. I've been busy out there every day for more than a week, making the most of the gorgeous weather (we need a little rain now, please!) I've got a post for the Freelance Writing Learning Curve wriggling in my head, about how the lessons learned in a garden translate to writing.

The garden is also a place where Youngest Daughter and I connect. It's not at all Eldest Daughter's thing, she hates creepy crawlies. And mud. Though she's very encouraging and supportive from the sidelines!

But Youngest Daughter and I love spending time together in the garden. We share a love of the outdoors and of creating things. When we're working in the garden we communicate on a different level; more relaxed, somehow. We learn a lot together in the garden, about ourselves and each other, about Nature, about life in general. Although I no longer homeschool, I still think of the garden as a classroom, full of exciting lessons.

For me, the garden is linked to education and creativity in lots of ways. I have inherited my love of gardening and also my perspective of the garden as a place of excitment and learning from my wonderful Mum and her wonderful Dad, both amazingly talented gardeners, highly creative people and great philosophers.

But it was while writing my BA dissertation about the Mother/Daughter relationship in the beautiful work of Alice Walker, that I was really bitten by the gardening bug. Walker often links creativity and gardening in her work. Although reading and writing were punishable crimes, black women kept that fragile, necessary spark of creativity alive in their songs and their stories. Or in the case of some (like Walker's mother), in the Revolutionary Petunias they grew.

Recent reminders of how wonderful gardening is, particularly how useful an educational resource it is, include the Children's Society Garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show and Dave Riddell's wonderful Outdoor Classroom projects. What a fantastic idea, with wide-ranging benefits; individual schoolchildren, parents and family, the school and local community, and the environment can all benefit hugely from an outdoor classroom. Check out Dave's post and spread the word!

For more ideas on how to use your garden as a place of learning, have a look at The Learning Garden website.

Or check out the Homeschooling list of garden projects for ideas to try with your own kids.

Beverley Hernandez also has some cool ideas for homeschooling in the garden.

:o)