Before we moved to Mayhew (in the Black Prairie, with its crazy soils), we had a big garden. 

The first year, I was in charge and it was organic.  This meant pulling off the nasty tomato horn worms with my gloved hands, screeching as their little sucker feet clung to the plant, and smashing them with my hoe.  Disgusting, but no pesticides were involved.  I cleared grass by hand forever (we reclaimed some lawn space to make the garden), my sweet hubby surprised me with the romantic gift of soaker hoses, and we grew a respectable amount of produce. Nothing stellar, mind you, but I was satisfied.

The second year, I was working full time with an hour commute each way.  So Mark took over the garden.  Soon, a full complement of chemicals took up residence in the barn.  He grew more varieties and more types of veggies than I did, tended it regularly, fertilized, etc.  The result was an abundance of gorgeous tomatoes, more squash than we could eat or give away, okra plants that grew taller than my head, watermelons eaten by varmints before we could pick them, pumpkins, and more. 

I miss that garden.

In celebration of gardens, and in honor of the recent harvests here in Mississippi of corn, cotton, and soy beans, I recommend Strega Nona's Harvest by the affable and popular Tomie de Paola. (I've met him and he's just as nice in person as he seems in all of his pictures.) Not only do kids get a lesson in good gardening practices (the importance of compost, crop rotation), but they get to see the differences between making careful rows as Strega Nona does, and the wild rumpus Big Anthony ends up with when he scatters seeds randomly. With the usual good humor, minor mystery, and happy ending, this is a fun story time book, and can be used to show cause and effect as well as creative problem solving.

Enjoy autumn and the harvest!



Image via Adventures in Reading