Re: Melanie's post on children's garden

**M* <m*@optonline.net>**

This is in response to Mary Appelhof's suggestion about a reading corner at
a flower show. If not interested in children's gardening concepts, please
delete now.

Mary, I really enjoyed your website but couldn't find an address to reply to
you off this list. Your idea about a reading corner is great but probably
not possible this year. Space at a flower show is a premium, I've already
been allocated the largest space in the show. Another consideration is the
size of the crowd and safety concerns while getting people to move around
exhibits. Hofstra's flower show is in a brand new sports arena, wonderful
new amenities but not much extra space.

The children's garden does have more than one reading spot. Something that I
feel every garden should have. The plans include a wrought iron gazebo
covered in tulle netting, a bean teepee made out of 10' copper tubes with
paper parosols stuck out of the top and scattered seating areas. Comfy
colorful cushions spread around for people to imagine themselves lounging
with a good book.

A stepping stone path will twist and turn through out the garden. The stones
will be painted three different colors and each will have a saying on them
such as "stop and smell the roses, lose one turn" or "make friends with a
worm today, jump ahead two spaces". There will be a thyme garden where round
stepping stones will be set up like a hop-scotch board but instead of
numbers they will have clock faces with 1:00, 2:00 and so on.

My toughest dilemma was deciding how to get the children to move along the
board while keeping the price down. As a free-lance lecturer I have next to
no money for this garden. Each child will get a draw string bag filled with
colored glass marbles. The color of the marble they draw will let them know
which stepping stone to advance towards.

In a past show we were able to get Home Depot to set up a booth where
children could build their own bird house or bat house free of charge. The
kids loved it but the neighboring vendors complained about all the hammering
noises and the plan was nixed for future shows.

Now one of your vermiculture bins full of worms would be a cool addition to
a children's garden!

My idea for a book signing corner was seperate from the childrens garden. An
avid collector of garden books for years, I've always been thrilled to get
an autograph when possible. Over 25 different plant societies have booths at
this show and the place is just crawling with plant enthusiasts. I have to
imagine they'd be as thrilled as I to meet some of their favorite authors.
I've suggested this to the show chairperson but she's not a gardener or a
book person. I was happy to be able to talk them into getting some speakers
other than local gardeners this year. Ralph Snodsmith and Paul James will
both be doing lectures at the show. So will I for that matter, but somehow I
don't expect the same audience for me :-)

Enough, I'm starting to ramble,
Melanie Vassallo
melaniev@optonline.net

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