Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2002
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/kidsgardening.html

Gardening with Kids
June 2002
Jan Decker, Junior Gardeners' Club Coordinator

    Thanks to all the kids who entered our first Junior Gardeners' Club
"My Mom's the Best Mom becauseÉ" and "My Dad's the Best Dad because É"
contests. It wasn't easy selecting only one from each age group in these
two contests. If I could have, I would have given everyone a prize.

    Besides the usual reasons like taking care of them when they're sick
and cooking their favorite foods, many of the kids expressed feelings
about what their parents did with them, not just for them. Another
common theme was the security of love that was felt even through the
child's own "ugly moods" and when parents were sometimes "mean" (I'll
translate that to mean administering discipline).

    Again this year for Father's Day, bring your kids to any one of
Johnson's three locations on June 15-16 for "Tadpoles for Dad" and watch
the kids squeal with delight as they catch their very own tadpole for
dad.

    If you haven't brought the kids in for their pumpkin seeds and to
officially register for the Pumpkin Growing Contest, do that soon.

    Remember, if the kids have plant care questions as they tend their
garden projects this summer, our staff is here to help.