Growing young gardeners

Journey program teaches kids the art of cultivation

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Friday, June 27, 2008

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The Junior Journey Program recently introduced a group of children to the plant world of flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables. In the scores of gardens scattered about the museum grounds, kids viewed the native plants, grasses and flowers before donning gloves and grabbing various yard tools to try the age-old practice of gardening.

Leading the kids through the gardening class were Journey Museum Teen Team members Brandon Fleming and Alex Marrs. Fleming presented a PowerPoint session on gardening as well as gardening tips for transplanting plant sets into garden beds. Marrs, 17, acting as an assistant, helped the kids gather up their gear, garden tools and miscellaneous materials needed to do a plant project.

Kayla Lindblom, 10, wasn’t sure of the kind of plants that she was working with, but she was anxious to get to work.

“I have no clue what it’s called other than a bedding plant,” she said.

Garrett Rolph, 9, had some experience in outdoor gardening.

“Yeah, I’ve gardened a little bit with my mom,” Garrett said, which sort of spurred his interest in the Junior Journey Program.

Joel Walker, 8, also had gardened with his mother.

It isn’t a hobby for those needing instant gratification, he said.

“You weed, you water and then you wait until it grows,” Joel said.

Hunter Stiles, 10, wanted to know how a small copse of young trees managed to thrive on large rocks next to a tipi ring.

“How do they live on rocks? Won’t they eventually die? Hunter asked.

“They’ll adjust,” volunteer gardening expert Wayne Farr said.

Kayla, Garrett, Joel and Hunter joined Kaleb Walker, 8, Megan Albertson, 10, and Kathlynn Short, 8, for a tour of the museum gardens conducted by Farr.

On Farr’s tour, the kids saw lush growth of oyster plants, Black Hills roses, pasque flowers, irises, Cheyenne prairie flowers, milkweed, honey locust trees, sedums, lambs’ ear, creeping jenny — part of the morning glory family, Texas blue bells, rushes, Indian grass, blue stem, sand cherries, Yucca, wild strawberries and Spanish bayonet.

“Spanish bayonet has a tap root that reaches 30-feet down. It also attracts a night-flying moth that fertilizes the plant,” Farr said.

Intertwined throughout the gardens were spiders, beetles and other insects, including monarch butterflies. These beautiful butterflies lay their eggs on the abundant milkweed scattered throughout the property, which hatch into voracious caterpillars that devour the tender milk-sap weed before forming a chrysalis and incubating a new generation of butterflies.

Farr says it is important to the museum gardening volunteers to plant a variety of plants in a garden, including vegetables and herbs.

“They will confuse the weed growth,” he said. The fruiting vegetation will act as a natural barrier to weeds.

“You never want to get rid of the weeds because they’ll attract bugs away from your flowers,” he added.

In Fleming’s presentation of gardening tips, along with the importance of watering plants regularly, transplanting correctly, weeding

and being prepared to commit to a lot of work, he also talked about what a garden brings.

“Each year, your garden will grow bigger and better,” he said.

It also will be the first steps in positive peer pressure throughout the neighborhood.

“If you grow a garden, your neighbor will probably grow a garden, too,” Fleming said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.