In Ground

Partnership to GRO1000 Gardens

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 09:03

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Get a taste of the activities NGA brings to the GRO1000 events. Download a free copy now!

Keeping Pets Safe in the Yard and Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 08:39

By:

Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff

Wheatgrass and catnip are great options for plants your cat can safely enjoy.As families enjoy their garden together this summer, it’s important to recognize that our families are more than just parents or guardians and children.

Developing Character in the Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 07:39

Anti-Bullying Strategies

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Creating a No-Bully Zone

Although the 2011-2012 school year is coming to an end, this is a great time to start planning an anti-bullying unit for the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Here is an activity to guide you and your students through the process of designing your own anti-bullying contract.

Download the Bullying Prevention Activity (PDF) »

Young gardeners contributing to the larger effort of beautifying the school.Within a garden live many individual plants. Each of these plants alone can be beautiful and unique, but as a whole, alongside all the other plants, they are so much more.

The Rain Garden is an Effective Tool

Submitted by cynthiad on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 14:31

By:

Rose Judd-Murray, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

A Book for a Rainy Day

Title: The Listening Walk
Author: Paul Showers
Illustrator: Aliki
ISBN: 978- 0064433228

“Because Your Children Live What They Learn…”

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Here are some meaningful plant selections to incorporate into your peace garden:

Rhododendron - in Russia, the blossoms signify peace, health, and purity

Mistletoe - in Scandinavia, associated with Frigga, the goddess of love

White pine tree - for the Native American Haudenosaunee, or Six Nations Peoples, the five needles joined together indicate unity

Peace Rose - a rose variety introduced in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II

Sunflowers - a symbol of freedom from the threat of nuclear weapons during the 1990s. Sunflowers are warm and welcoming; grow in friendly crowds; and produce nutritious seeds for people and wildlife.

Cosmos - named after the Greek word for well-ordered universe; symbolizes peace and order

Education in the garden is a great way to teach kids to live responsibly and peacefully.This philosophy, from the creator of Playschool Child Care, Inc., Carol Acosta, is what continues to guide the program more than 25 years later.

Teaching Kids about Water Conservation

Submitted by pauls on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 16:15

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Did you know there is as much water in the world today as there was millions of years ago? Actually, it is the very same water recycled through the hydrologic cycle. The water you drink or use in your garden today may contain the same molecules our ancestors or even the DINOSAURS once drank.

Growing BIG in the Great Outdoors

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 10:12

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Bonnie Plants’ Third Grade Cabbage Program is a free program offered to third grade classrooms nationwide. The purpose is to support youth to eat healthy and be garden advocates. To support this purpose, Bonnie Plants offers resources online to help students grow their cabbage. In addition, lesson ideas and recipes are provided along with help for teachers and parents. Visit the Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program website for more details about registration.

You can also view a complete list of the Third Grade Cabbage Program scholarship winners for 2011 for each state.

Being outside has so much to offer; whether you are a gardener or not, there is a place for you in the Great Outdoors. Each year, thousands of third graders nationwide find a special place outside by participating in a program which challenges them to grow an oversized cabbage.

Creating Your Own Children’s Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 11:23

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Are you looking for an indoor activity for the garden? Download these simple instructions to create signs for indoor and outdoor gardens.

Here is a geography lesson for grades 3-5 to introduce the topics of longitude and latitude as they relate to botanical gardens. Download Where in the World???

Think back to your childhood. Can you remember any interactions with plants or a garden that made an impression on you? I can remember the first time I learned about snapdragons. I was at my grandmother’s house and my mom showed me how you can pinch the sides of the bloom to cause the flower to open and close, which looked like a dragon mouth. I was in awe that a plant could do this. Another time I “discovered” the softness of lamb’s ear. The amazement that a plant’s leaves could feel so soft was a memory that remains with me today.

Fall Family Garden and Nature Activities

Submitted by pauls on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 16:49

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

For many children, the fall season is one of the most engaging outdoor times of the year. Don’t miss out! Be sure to get your children out of the house and involve them with nature this season.

Creating a Theme Garden

Submitted by pauls on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 14:59

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Theme gardens are an excellent way to foster the love of gardening with your children. A theme garden can be specific to nature, a place, a person, an idea, literature, or a story. A theme garden could also showcase an interest such as history, traveling, particular colors, attracting birds & butterflies, specific plants, or attracting insects and pollinators.