{"id":911,"date":"2022-04-08T23:28:54","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T23:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livingwithplastics.climateactionchildhood.net\/?page_id=911"},"modified":"2022-09-15T02:10:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T02:10:09","slug":"garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/livingwithplastics.climateactionchildhood.net\/index.php\/documentation\/garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When Veronica gifts us a collection of seeds, we gently examine them.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201c<\/mark>They\u2019re peas. I gotta <\/mark>
tell Howie!<\/mark><\/em>\u201d – John
\u201dPeas are for making
lunch. I love peas<\/em>.\u201d –
Jacob<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picking up another seed, Jacob asks: \u201cOnions?<\/em>\u201d
\u201cThese seeds are
gonna grow onions!<\/em>\u201d – John<\/mark><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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From the food scraps we pull out the red pepper tops, their seeds still clinging on. As we shake them vigorously, the tiny seeds let go and rain down on the table. Picking up the seeds and placing them in the onion tops and lettuce leaf carriers begins. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Day after day we collect seeds.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe have to build a garden.\u201d – Quinn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA big big big big big garden<\/em>.\u201d – Jenna<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA small onion garden.<\/em>\u201d – Jacob<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need a big one, because they are going to grow big<\/em>.\u201d – John<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about big and small?<\/em>\u201d -Jacob<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Where will the seeds go?<\/em>” – Educator<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA big garden and a tiny garden<\/em>.\u201d – Jenna<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Together we plant, design, <\/mark><\/em>
build, and care for a garden<\/mark><\/em><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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For weeks, we focus our attention on designing the garden that we want to build in our outdoor space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the wooden blocks, we make
structures of the planters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embodying a garden, children become seeds crouching inside the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am a seed<\/em>.\u201d – Laura
“I’m becoming a plant.<\/em>” – Anna<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Quinn notices the differences between the shape and sizes of the seeds and draws each one.<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe big circle is the garden and the small circles are the seeds. This is the water (pointing to the lines around the edges). A garden with seeds needs water.\u201d – Jacob<\/mark><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Quinn brings her drawing to the children building the block garden and asks them to build her designed circle garden. Not an easy task. Using different blocks, the group of children try to
replicate the circular design.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Shaking her head, Quinn
disapproves each prototype: \u201cNo, it\u2019s a square, it needs to be a circle.<\/em>\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We bring the problem of building a circular planter to other children.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How do we build a circle garden?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The carrot group had been working on creating a circle with straight carrot peels. We look to them for guidance and bring the problem to morning meeting. How do we build a circle garden?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Jacob\u2019s drawing projected on the wall, several prototypes emerge. John uses the curved blocks to create circle shapes, but Jacob is still not satisfied: \u201cThe circles are too small. They need to be bigger<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John adds more curved blocks to the outside of the circle, while Julie spreads her curved blocks farther apart. After several attempts we decide to bring Jacob’s design to someone who might be able to help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Expanding our community, the centre’s facilities manager, Andrew, the centre’s licensing director, Carrie , and a carpenter, Rob, join the inquiry.
We share the
scaled drawings and wooden models with Andrew, Carrie, and Rob in a virtual meeting. Together
we think about where to put the planters and how to build a planter.<\/mark><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe need circle gardens and square gardens<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We consult with Andrew and Carrie and decide
that removable planters would be best to meet
requirements. We find out that we could fit four planters on the playground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rob shares images of what these gardens might look, to see if they align with our plans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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When Rob inquires about the height of the
planters, the children provide precise measurements using their arms and bodies.
Collectively, they would like the gardens to reach their belly buttons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey can be this tall <\/em>(stands up and places
her hand at her belly button) button).\u201d
– Jennifer <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Each child takes a turn standing and sharing their belly button height. <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

But then a problem emerges:
how do we tell Rob how tall
our belly buttons are? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer suggests: \u201cWe can measure our bodies using measuring tapes<\/em>\u201d.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We spend days using blocks and tape measures to measure how tall children\u2019s belly buttons are. \u201cIt\u2019s 15 numbers<\/em>\u201d, – Susan announces.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We email Rob with images, as well as the number of blocks it took to reach that height.<\/mark><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Rob replies and sends us his
design options, explaining how they align with the children\u2019s
specifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enthusiastically approve the design, and building takes place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Deconstructed planters arrive at our door
on a cool morning.
Together we carry
piece by piece into our
outdoor space and carefully assemble each planter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacob makes an \u201cx\u201d on the ground to show how the legs of the planter are assembled: \u201cI think it must be in an x because x usually tells you where something is!<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We meet with Andrew in the yard to discuss and map out the location of the garden. Using measuring tapes, we mark where the garden will go.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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