When I was teaching we got into this fun habit of watering the plants every lunch time. The children played outside and we would fill up all the watering cans. And the children absolutely loved it.

I have my own memories from my childhood of growing beans in jam jars and looking at their growth each day when I’d get in from school. There’s just something so special about growing your own plants, especially from seed, that is grounding and life affirming. It connects us with the natural world. A few thoughts about growing your own plants:

Things like milk cartons, egg cartons and old tins can be used as containers to grow.

Growing plants helps us understand the process and time involved in growing food. It gives us gratitude for farmers and growers.

Even in the high storeys of a building, insects undoubtedly find their way to plants on a windowsill. Another wonderful learning opportunity.

For those who do have a space to grow outside, growing food gives us a much deeper understanding of the earth providing for us.