Parents, youth, connect through gardening
HOULTON, Maine — Three years ago, Emily McDonald of Houlton was in the midst of homeschooling her eldest daughter, Sarah, and looking for a way to teach science lessons about nutrient levels in soil without making them too boring or overwhelming.
“I decided that the best thing to do would be to dig a small garden,” she explained. “And I am talking really small. It literally was the size of a mud puddle. I just went out and got a package of carrots and planted those.”
McDonald was not aware of it then, but that lesson planted the seed for a lingering connection between her and her daughter, one that would grow and be nurtured to this day.
“I had no idea then that planting those carrots would spark a total love of gardening within her,” McDonald said Monday, speaking of her now 14-year-old daughter. “But that lesson went beyond science for her. She immediately asked if we could dig a bigger garden, and not just for vegetables, but for flowers, too.”
Sarah McDonald said that gardening is now one of her favorite hobbies. She said Monday that she most enjoys the start of spring, when she and her mother gather at the kitchen table to sketch out what the garden will look like each year.
“I love that,” she emphasized. “Sitting down and picking out how much space we are going to allow for vegetables and flowers and fruits is really awesome. I used to like growing vegetables the most, but now I enjoy watching flowers grow the most. I especially enjoy picking the cut flowers every day and putting them in vases for my friends and family.”
McKenzie Harbison, 13, of Presque Isle, also enjoys the hobby. She said that she started gardening with her parents and siblings when she was younger and now has a special plot of her own reserved in the family garden.
“I like to grow the flowers that climb up trellises,” she noted. “Those are my favorite. I always plant a number of those each year. And even though it can take a lot of time, I find that weeding is very relaxing.”
Harbison said that she is interested in possibly selling some of her produce to raise money for college one day. Sarah McDonald said that she might possibly be interested in pursuing her love of horticulture or botany in college. That makes her mother “very proud.”
“Who knew one little lesson would spark all this?” she said.
