Bending the twig

" Alexander Pope in 1732: "'Tis Education forms the common mind, Just as the Twig is bent the Tree's inclined"

Our three year old granddaughter, Ava, has been extremely interested in plants and the greenhouse since she first started to become aware of her surroundings. To encourage her interest I let her help me plant seeds, water, pick flowers and vegetables and pretty much whatever else I am doing. Yesterday, she was in the greenhouse happily removing the male flowers from the cucumber plants. Fortunately, at this point, there are only male flowers on the plants.

Ava is particularly excited about the great race pictured above. Ava, her grandmother, and I, have each planted a Kentucky Blue pole bean seed, and the race is on to see which one of our plants will reach the top of the support first. And, we all know who the winner will be.

Hopefully, activities like this will help in cultivating an interest in nature that Ava will carry into adulthood.