"Dad," Robin asked his father one spring day, "can I make a garden?" Robin had been watching old Mr. McGarrity across the street, planting his garden and he wanted one of his own.
"Sure," said his father. "That is a great idea. I think every child should have a garden. Having a garden is good for anybody, but especially good for children."
"Hurray!" shouted Robin. "I can dig it myself, and I will have the biggest garden on the whole street."
"Now wait just a minute," his father said. "Perhaps I had better dig it for you, to start. It is very hard to dig. And we don't want to make it too big, either. About three feet by six feet is a good size for a boy. It's a lot of work looking after a garden, so you want something you can handle."
Robin and his Dad found the very best spot in the backyard, and dug it just the right size. "A garden needs to be able to get the rain and the sun," Robin's father told him. "And have good earth. A boy needs a good spot for his first garden - where things can grow easily."
While they were digging, Robin collected some worms in a can, to keep for fishing. "Don't take all the worms, Robin," his father said. "A garden needs worms. They keep the earth good, so plants will grow well."
"They are friends of a garden?" Robin asked.
"They sure are," his father said.
So Robin and his dad planted the garden. Robin wanted to plant corn and apple trees, and pumpkins as big as his belly. But his father explained they could be hard to grow - especially for little boys, and they need a lot of room. Beans and carrots are good for a first garden, and radishes - because they seldom fail and they grow very quickly. And some lettuce, too. And maybe a few sturdy flowers for color, like marigolds and petunias - simple hardy things
.
"This will give you a good garden," Robin's dad said, "and teach you more about life and its ways, than I could probably teach you all summer."
Robin tended his garden and watered it, just like his father said. And he put little sticks and string around for a fence, to keep dogs and cats away.
He waited one day, then two days, then three. But nothing happened. Where were his vegetables and pretty flowers? Robin got his little shovel and dug up his beans to see how they were doing. They had big, fat sprouts on them and he showed them to his father, when he got home from work.
"Oh, my," his father said. "You must put them back. They will never grow like that. They need to be left alone to do their work. This is one of the important things you garden will teach you, Robin - patience. You must learn to wait. We all do. Your garden will grow in time, in it's own way."
And so it did. Fine bean plants and radishes and tasty lettuce that Robin could pick and eat as he watered his garden - and pretty flowers he could take in to his mother.
But as Robin learned to wait, and give his garden time, he also got bored with it. There were always so many things a boy could do, besides looking after a garden - like riding his bicycle, playing with friends, and watching lots of television. Looking after a garden was a lot of work.
One day Robin's father noticed Robin's garden wasn't doing too well. It was dry because Robin was forgetting to water it, and weeds were starting to grow everywhere and choke the young vegetables and flowers.
Robin's Dad called him over: "Look at your garden, son," he said. "It needs some attention - a little work. It will never grow well like that. Besides learning to wait, Robin, you must learn to work - to look after things, if you want them to turn out well. That is the second important thing your garden can teach you."
So Robin learned to look after his garden; to pay attention to it, and to work. His garden needed help. That was his job.
"Thanks, dad," Robin said. "You sure know a lot about gardens."
"A little," his father laughed. "
And with a little help and care - and patience, Robin's garden grew to be a fine garden that summer. He was very proud when he brought in his radishes and beans and things to his mother for supper.
But the last thing Robin learned from his garden, he learned all by himself - that it was all worthwhile. That if you worked hard and looked after things, they would turn out well. And of all the beans and radishes and lettuce Robin ever ate that summer, none tasted better than the ones he had grown himself - in his very own garden!
.................................................................................................................................................................
The End, boys and girls - ................................................................Good Night - Sleep Tight
Add us to your Favorites: http://www.merry-go-round.ca/ And our associate Canadian Children's Charity http://www.kidscopscomputers.org/
"Sure," said his father. "That is a great idea. I think every child should have a garden. Having a garden is good for anybody, but especially good for children."
"Hurray!" shouted Robin. "I can dig it myself, and I will have the biggest garden on the whole street."
"Now wait just a minute," his father said. "Perhaps I had better dig it for you, to start. It is very hard to dig. And we don't want to make it too big, either. About three feet by six feet is a good size for a boy. It's a lot of work looking after a garden, so you want something you can handle."
Robin and his Dad found the very best spot in the backyard, and dug it just the right size. "A garden needs to be able to get the rain and the sun," Robin's father told him. "And have good earth. A boy needs a good spot for his first garden - where things can grow easily."
While they were digging, Robin collected some worms in a can, to keep for fishing. "Don't take all the worms, Robin," his father said. "A garden needs worms. They keep the earth good, so plants will grow well."
"They are friends of a garden?" Robin asked.
"They sure are," his father said.
So Robin and his dad planted the garden. Robin wanted to plant corn and apple trees, and pumpkins as big as his belly. But his father explained they could be hard to grow - especially for little boys, and they need a lot of room. Beans and carrots are good for a first garden, and radishes - because they seldom fail and they grow very quickly. And some lettuce, too. And maybe a few sturdy flowers for color, like marigolds and petunias - simple hardy things
."This will give you a good garden," Robin's dad said, "and teach you more about life and its ways, than I could probably teach you all summer."
Robin tended his garden and watered it, just like his father said. And he put little sticks and string around for a fence, to keep dogs and cats away.
He waited one day, then two days, then three. But nothing happened. Where were his vegetables and pretty flowers? Robin got his little shovel and dug up his beans to see how they were doing. They had big, fat sprouts on them and he showed them to his father, when he got home from work.
"Oh, my," his father said. "You must put them back. They will never grow like that. They need to be left alone to do their work. This is one of the important things you garden will teach you, Robin - patience. You must learn to wait. We all do. Your garden will grow in time, in it's own way."
And so it did. Fine bean plants and radishes and tasty lettuce that Robin could pick and eat as he watered his garden - and pretty flowers he could take in to his mother.
But as Robin learned to wait, and give his garden time, he also got bored with it. There were always so many things a boy could do, besides looking after a garden - like riding his bicycle, playing with friends, and watching lots of television. Looking after a garden was a lot of work.
One day Robin's father noticed Robin's garden wasn't doing too well. It was dry because Robin was forgetting to water it, and weeds were starting to grow everywhere and choke the young vegetables and flowers.
Robin's Dad called him over: "Look at your garden, son," he said. "It needs some attention - a little work. It will never grow well like that. Besides learning to wait, Robin, you must learn to work - to look after things, if you want them to turn out well. That is the second important thing your garden can teach you."
So Robin learned to look after his garden; to pay attention to it, and to work. His garden needed help. That was his job.
"Thanks, dad," Robin said. "You sure know a lot about gardens."
"A little," his father laughed. "
And with a little help and care - and patience, Robin's garden grew to be a fine garden that summer. He was very proud when he brought in his radishes and beans and things to his mother for supper.
But the last thing Robin learned from his garden, he learned all by himself - that it was all worthwhile. That if you worked hard and looked after things, they would turn out well. And of all the beans and radishes and lettuce Robin ever ate that summer, none tasted better than the ones he had grown himself - in his very own garden!
.................................................................................................................................................................
The End, boys and girls - ................................................................Good Night - Sleep Tight
Add us to your Favorites: http://www.merry-go-round.ca/ And our associate Canadian Children's Charity http://www.kidscopscomputers.org/
