World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day was created to help feed ourselves, our family, and a hungry planet, and encourage people to join in the fun hobby of gardening.
As the old saying goes….. “Give a man some vegetables, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to grow a vegetable garden, and you feed his whole family for life!”
Let's substitute the word 'child' for 'man'.
This day is very relevant considering food shortages and supply issues. The good news is anyone can grow something. It doesn’t take a large plot of land. All you need is some sun, water, and a container with soil, something that is very easy to do with children. In fact the Kindergarten classes at school are doing it right now.
Some schools even have a vegetable garden that is tended by the students and then also eaten by the students. In Australia this idea of kitchen gardens was created by chef Stephanie Alexander. Our school recycles food waste as compost and has a worm farm to help with growing the vegetables.
Our library has a multitude of gardening books, stories about gardens, procedural books about things like composting...
These are some that work for the idea of children gardening and growing their own vegetables.
Luna Loves Gardening by Joseph Coehlo
Luna is wowed by her local community garden, there are squashes and runner beans, potatoes and tomatoes and even an apple tree. But each plant hides a story.
Sidney and his mum live a busy life in a busy city. Dinner time is announced by the PING of the microwave, comes out of piping-hot boxes, and is eaten off knees. The closest Sidney ever comes to a vegetable is the mushroom on his pizza . . . and he usually picks that off. But when Sidney goes to visit Granny in the countryside, eating his greens suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting!
"Dad says we are going to grow vegetable soup." So begins Lois Ehlert's bright, bold picture book about vegetable gardening for the very young. The necessary tools are pictured and labeled, as are the seeds (green bean, pea, corn, zucchini squash, and carrot). Then the real gardening happens . . . planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, chopping, and cooking! In the end? "It was the best soup ever."
In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller
Millie has recently moved to a new city, from a place more than an ocean away. More than anything she misses the garden where her family used to grow food. Then one day she has an idea-the school has a fine flat roof, perfect for a garden. Soon her teacher and classmates are on board, but it takes more than ideas to build a garden.
Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root
You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan — almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things.
Water Weed and Wait by Edith Hope Fine
When Miss Marigold challenges the kids at Pepper Lane Elementary to turn an unpromising patch of their schoolyard into a garden full of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, they know they'll need all the help they can get. Soon everyone in the community is lending a hand--including an unlikely neighbour with a soft spot for gardening.
Eddie's Garden by Sarah Garland
What makes Eddie's garden grow? Earth, rain, sun and all sorts of creatures, of course! The book includes full information on growing a garden like Eddie's in a home garden or even indoors.
My Delicious Garden by Anne-Marie Fortin
In the depths of winter, one young girl is already dreaming of planting her very own vegetable garden. She sketches out the rows of lettuce, the trellis for the peas, and a large plot for the tomatoes while she waits for warmer weather.
How Does My Fruit Grow? by Gerda Muller
Sophie loves visiting her aunt and uncle in the countryside and learning all about the fruits that grow in their garden: strawberries, redcurrants and cranberries.
Plant It! Grow It Eat It by Kathryn Selbert
Follow along as four kids grow gardens across balconies, backyards, greenhouses, and rooftops. See how the kids plant seeds, harvest yummy foods, and share a big meal!
Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots by Claire Burgess
Lottie and Dottie Grow Pumpkins by Claire Burgess
And a choice of some nonfiction.
