Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Sprout your own leafy wonders
Illustrator: Robert Shadbolt
Gardening Kit
For ages 8 to 12
Chronicle Books LLC, 2005 ISBN: 978-0811861076
When most people talk about gardening, they are talking about growing vegetables or pretty flowers. What about the plants that are not edible or that don't have flowers? What about the ones that are "leafy?" Let us not ignore these plants; now you can have the opportunity to grow your own non-flowering and inedible plants that have leaves that are wonderful to look at and, in the case of two of them, that are interesting to touch as well.
This kit includes everything you need to grow three little pots of plants. There is a guide book packed with information, three planters, peat pellets, and three packets of seeds. All you need to provide is some sunshine and water.
The book will tell you all you need to know to get your plants started. It will also provide you with interesting information about the three kinds of plants that you will be growing. There is the sensitive plant, which has leaves that fold up when you touch them. Then there is the interesting looking polka-dot plant. Finally, there is the lamb's ear plant. This plant has leaves that are soft and furry.
Just in case your plant gets ?sick,'there is information about what you can do to take care of your plant. There is also a section with four experiments that you can try, any one of which will be great to demonstrate in a school science fair.
This kit will make a splendid gift for a young person who is interesting in growing something interesting from seed. Young people will see how easy it is to grow plants, and how rewarding it is to see a living thing grow and flourish.
