I love getting kids involved in the gardens. I especially love when parents who have no vested, personal interest volunteer and bring those kids along with them… Heather brought Devin and GiGi to our last two events for which I sought volunteers. Meet Devin and GiGi:

GiGi and Devin

I have officially “certified” Devin and GiGi as Master Mulchers

Last night, Heather, GiGi, and Devin drove out to the Loaves and Fishes food bank garden in Ezel and helped lay boxes between rows and I showed the kids how to place the shredded paper around the base of the plants. Tonight, GiGi wore a costume skirt over her shorts and played a fantastic game of “nuh uh,” “yuh huh”with me as she and Devin put paper shreds around the bottom of more than 100 plants in the community garden on the UK Extension farm in Morgan County. I am now a huge advocate of having children place shredded-paper-mulch. What is more fun than being able to toss around handfuls of shredded paper? PLUS: They are lower to the ground and their backs don’t hurt from bending over. 🙂 Not to mention – give a kid a water bottle and explain that the paper needs to be wetted-down to help the plants grow and watch them squirt away!

Yes, we were late getting in the ground, but the old timers tell me we're fine this year!

Yes, we were late getting in the ground, but the old timers tell me we’re fine this year!

 

Ten folks came together to work on personal plots or the plot intended for the Morgan County Senior Commodities Program. Five were there purely as volunteers. As the evening’s work wound down and I was ready to spray with Spinosad, Heather ushered GiGi and Devin from the garden, telling them the work was done. I couldn’t help but smile as I heard them both protest that they weren’t ready to be finished. Grow Appalachia does not only plant literal seeds… But, seeds of doing good for no reason other than it helps others. I know GiGi and Devin will always remember these past two evenings and I know their mother, Heather, is blessed for doing this with them.