Introduction
Our lives are constantly changing, and lately I have focused on the many things that affected me as I grew up. How to grow plants was only one in the many lessons that many wonderful adults passed on to me. When I was approached to work on this project in the summer of 2002, I tackled the task by looking back into my childhood. I thought about all the things I loved about gardening, and all the things I hated. As I looked back on how I learned and how this information was passed on to me, I realized just how much we as adults shape the future of our children in an unconscious fashion. I realized just how true the old adage “we learn by example” is. For instance, how did you learned to peal a potato, fry a hamburger, drive a car, or plant a seed? If you were like me, countless hours of learning was accomplished by just watching an adult do the job while you probably conversed about something entirely unrelated to the act taking place in front of your eyes. Every once in a while you probably asked a question, and it was answered as the task at hand continued. At some point, you reached out and attempted the task yourself and, voila! You could do it. Some of my fondest memories were just being with the adults I loved. Joining their activities at what ever level I could manage for my age gave me a great sense of accomplishment; a feeling of being a part of something important.
In addition to the adults in my life, the next thing that stood out in my mind that helped solidify my closeness and devotion to the natural world was the constant spontaneous interaction with the wonderments in everything. By this I mean I loved the sizes, shapes, colors, textures, smells, and the overall ways these things interacted with my senses. The experiences of hiding in the corn, crawling under and over, looking at stuff under rocks and boards, building fairy houses out of sticks and stones, tomato fights, and having the opportunities to pretend, all contributed to my positive attitude about gardens, plants and nature. There is no doubt that the adults and natural experiences I was exposed to grew the next green generation. All these interactions helped me evaluate and modify the pages in this book. I hope to help you foster the same fond, lasting positive relationships and memories in the children you choose to garden with. I beseech you to teach them an appreciation and awareness of our environment so they will take care of our world. If it is true that we learn by example, they in turn will ensure our future and grow the next green generation.
Dot Perkins
