2019 Children’s Garden @ The Maine Flower Show
Thompsons Point, Portland, ME
3/28 – 3/31
First and foremost, thank-you to Norway Savings Bank for sponsoring the Children’s Garden!
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom, Maine School Garden Network & ReTreeUS work diligently to incorporate gardening and orcharding into schools across the entire state all year long. Together these organizations have created a space for kids of all ages to have a hands-on gardening experience and an opportunity to learn about plants, and the food, fruit and flowers they produce. Touching the soil, planting, watering and learning about pollination, which are all key parts of growing, will be modeled in the children’s garden.
The garden will include raised beds with vegetables and container gardens which demonstrate school garden practices. Signs about pollination and the benefits of orchards will be on display. Visitors can fill out a leaf for an interactive “gratitude tree” which will be in the booth next door. People can share what they like about gardens and gardening, which also helps all three organizations build their networks.
At the Show
When families first enter the show, the children will be offered a scavenger hunt with two different levels of difficulty to choose from. There is a list of clues to match to the garden displays at the show. Once they complete the scavenger hunt, they can bring it to the Children’s Garden and receive a “planting” bag with a pot, soil and seeds to take home with them and grow their own plants at home.
While in the Children’s Garden area, the kids will have an opportunity to transplant a pansy, basil or strawberry. Items for the garden and the pots, soil and plants have all been kindly donated by the sponsors listed below. We are excited to promote the “hands in the dirt” experience encouraging families to start a garden at home, no matter the size.
Thank you to our sponsors!
- Norway Savings Bank
- Broadway Gardens - Pansies
- Proven Winners - Strawberries & Basil
- Coast of Maine - Potting soil
- Paris Farmers Union of Norway, ME - Pots
- Cozy Acres Greenhouses - Soil & pots for the scavenger hunt
- Allen Sterling & Lothrop - Seeds for the scavenger hunt
- Skillins Greenhouses - Trees/ shrubs
- New England Specialty Stone - Wall block for raised beds
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