The early July days are a challenge to the community garden. Temperatures soar, soil dries out quickly, and gardeners need bottled water to keep hydrated. My grandniece, Ceci, comes regularly to the garden, and this year she has accepted new marching orders. Bible Street Community Garden launched a Good Deeds program this year for the littlest gardeners, a wonderful way not only to keep kids busy while adults dig, but also to make them feel part of a community -- an imaginative way for kids to make a difference.
Kids like Ceci agree to play various roles and perform certain tasks, signing a quasi-contract in the garden shed in exchange for a pail, a shovel and some seeds. Bible Street Community Garden focuses on these four Good Deeds.
- Insect Inspectors observe and write up reports on bugs, pests and critters.
- Path Keepers keep walkways neat and tidy, removing weeds and stray debris.
- Hose Helpers coil the hoses and turn off all the water faucets.
- Water Watchers fill watering cans, water the plots of gardeners who are out of town and water the plots of the town’s neighbor-to-neighbor plots.
Ceci puts energy into Good Deeds -- as long as they involve faucets, water and watering cans. Almost five years old, she moves smoothly into the rhythm of the community garden -- the birds, the trees, the butterflies -- and introduces herself boldly to gardeners who arrive (always sharing her first, middle and last names). After she's done her Good Deeds and I've done my jobs, we sit at the children's picnic table in the shade and cool down with ice-cold water, grapes, strawberries, crackers and pickles. A peaceful time for both of us.
Any community garden can create a Good Deeds program. I am thrilled that ours did this year. Which Good Deeds does your community garden offer children?
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-- Diane Tunick Morello
