All Growing Things

I don’t know why it is, but as I grow older I am more interested in having my grandchildren experience the wonder of seeds, then seedlings, then plants, then fruit or flowers. I think I got it from my grandmother.

When I was about eight, my grandmother, Momo, who received a few of what Aunt Betsy calls “junk catalogs”, ordered a “Pathway of Zinnias.” When it arrived she showed it to us. It was a mesh strip with zinnia seeds placed throughout, and according to the directions it could be laid on any ground and simply watered. In a short time there would be a magic carpet of knee-high-to-an-eight-year-old multicolored zinnias. I know we walked all around our large yard, trying to pick the very best spot, and I at least could envision our flowers looking exactly like the picture on the front of the package. We finally picked a location, not too sunny, not too shady, unrolled the mesh, and then I promptly forgot about it. I know I never watered it. I suspect Momo, my grandmother, did. Anyway, not one seed sprouted. Not one. And many years later I remembered, and asked Momo why it didn’t work. She said, with just a tiny hint of bitterness, “You can’t trust anything from those catalogs.”

So when Hannah turned eight in April, I was trying to think of something to get all the girls, and I saw just the thing! Pots with “Grow Your Own….” in bright blocky letters written on them. Each one was a self-contained seed-to-plant kit. For Hannah I got the strawberries, because she loves them. Katie has always wanted sunflowers, and Sarah ended up with the tomatoes, which made her dad happy.

In these days, kids don’t just “do” something, have you noticed? Everything is a scheduled project, with a carefully planned time and place. So, since it is so, two weeks ago was the day and time designated to plant the pots.

Last night we celebrated Sarah’s birthday at our house, and as the five girls came tumbling in, I asked about the progress of the seeds.  Hannah said, “I only have about four strawberry plants, but they’re growing! Katie has 27 sunflowers!” Katie corrected her, “No, Hannah. I have 27 leaves.” Sarah chimed in, “My tomato plants are getting taller.”

What did I hear? “Momo, will these flowers be beautiful?”

“Yes, Tracy. They will.”

She understood then, as I do now, that plants, and grandchildren, are all growing things.