Hollyhocks and Honeybees

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Dirty hands stimulate growing minds! This practical guide introduces teachers—with or without green thumbs—to the rich learning opportunities found in gardening with children.

Gardening can provide a full curriculum incorporating language and literacy, science and math, in addition to social sciences and the arts. It stimulates children's development in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains. With this book, you can learn to plan fun themed gardens like the Bird and Butterfly Garden, the Dinosaur Garden, the Kitchen Garden, the Pizza Garden, and the North American Garden. You will learn everything you need to know about planning, preparation, plant selection, growing zones, and pest control; the authors also show how gardening can be incorporated into learning centers, circle times, and field trips, and provide ways to document children's learning. Other features include sample garden designs, recipes and activities, ideas for parent and community involvement, and a resource list.

"While ....

the primary audience for this book is school-teachers, landscape architects working on projects that will involve children will find solid information here. Coauthored by Karen Midden, ASLA, the book discusses the value of getting children interested in gardening, as well as the nitty gritty of choosing a site and type of garden, selecting plants, and maintaining the garden."
—Landscape Architecture Magazine

"Hollyhocks and Honeybees is an excellent curriculum that will inspire even experience educators. It will motivate educators to develop fun, holistic learning experiences that encourage critical thinking, knowledge of ecological principles and a real connection to the Earth."
—Green Teacher

"[Hollyhocks and Honeybees] fills a great big gap in the resources available for teachers of young children about how to involve them in one of life's most satisfying and enlightening endeavors—gardening. For readers coming to gardening for the first time, the authors hold their hands and guide them with understanding and insight. For experienced gardeners who have not yet shared this absorbing and instructive activity with young children, the authors provide details and clear suggestions based on their rich and extensive experience. A joy to read, this book deserves study by students in preparation as well as those of us with long experience of working with young children.”
—Lilian G. Katz, Ph.D., Professor Emerita

"[Hollyhocks and Honeybees] has a compelling section on the value of gardening in children's lives, and puts gardening within the grasp of every educator, whether they have gardening experience or not. The discussion on evaluating a garden activity for educational merits will be valuable to both educators and homeschoolers."
—Ruth Kantor Lopez, Gardens for Growing People

"Hollyhocks and Honeybees is dedicated and written for adults helping young children learn gardening through fun projects. Theme classroom gardens such as the Bird and Butterfly Garden, the Dinosaur Garden, the Kitchen Garden, the Sensory Garden and the North American Garden, plant selection and pest control (The Good Guys and The Bad Guys) help children learn and have fun gardening."
—National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc.

"A guide to garden projects for young children, this book is based on the experiences of three SIUC staffers in designing, building, using, and maintaining a garden at SIUC's Child Development laboratory, a combination early childhood program and teacher-training facility. Written with teachers of preschoolers in mind, the book contains plenty of tips for any grown-up who wants to share a garden with a child. There are 'universal garden learning experiences' and even a itty-bitty cookbook with direction for such concoction as garlic bug spray, but also edible delights like purple pansy pumpernickel sandwiches."
—Focal Point, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

"Going beyond the traditions of planting seeds, the authors demonstrate how to involve children in long-term projects in gardening, based on their work in incorporating five difference small gardens into their school's playground. Highlighted by photographs, illustrations, and resource lists, [Hollyhocks and Honeybees] details the steps for growing gardens. The book links gardening to the social, communicative, and cognitive goals of a teacher's curriculum."
—Young Children

"Hollyhocks and Honeybees is the ultimate resource for child care centers."
—Child Care Business magazine