Do you want to plant a garden?
(Or nature study in your backyard)
I was first drawn to homeschooling and then to the Charlotte Mason philosophy because I saw it as a more gentle and natural approach to learning for young students. Books have always been some of my dearest friends, and the idea that school would center on sharing these friends with my children was an idea that resonated with my soul. I also greatly believed that time out of doors had benefits that would enrich my children’s entire lives. Now that I have a few years of homeschooling under my belt, I know that the living books, the artist study, composer study and time in nature make homeschooling beautiful. Without all that, my homeschooling can descend into simply school.
Sometimes, it is hard to be all that I want to be. There is a constant battle to figure out what is the higher good in my home: to spread the feast or conquer the spelling words, snuggle on the couch reading Narnia or get supper started, to take the nature hike or hold the sleepy baby.
On those beautiful days when the wonder and the mundane of homeschool and housework coexist happily, and it ALL happens homeschooling is exhilarating. In the realities of life, that high point can’t be reached every day. Somedays, I have to modify expectations to help make sure the beautiful doesn’t get squeezed out of our day. This is especially true in nature study. I would love to tell you that we go on nature hikes at our local prairie once a week, as I intend to each new school year. Far more often, however, nature study happens in our yard and garden. For me, it is much easier and less disruptive to our day to walk to our garden and pick beans for supper than load my crew by myself and take the whole afternoon at the prairie. We save that for when dad, who loves to go on hikes, is home on the weekend. I used to struggle that I wasn’t getting out into the “wild” during nature study time, but now I feel that my garden is another valid option for nature study and is helping my children grow in their wonder of God’s creation.
How do I use my garden in nature study? I start with the idea that just as the woods are full of things made by the Creator, so is my garden. Just because a plant is cultivated doesn’t mean that it is somehow not part of nature. Weeds can be wildflowers; it all depends on if you look in a field guide or a gardener’s manual. All flowers started somewhere as a native wildflower. Research your favorite flower and vegetable and see how plant breeders have changed the plant.
We have also found and studied in our garden all types of wildlife: toads, birds, spiders, caterpillars, butterflies, bunnies, hornworms/sphinx moths, and invasive species such as Japanese beetles.
We have tried plant breeding which taught us more about plant structures and pollination then I ever thought possible. From our seed saving experiments we have learned about pollination, fruit maturity, cooking, exploration, and geography. In the cutting garden, my daughter gathers flowers to give to grandma or an aunt. My sons have spent hours just digging, a blessing to them in more ways than one. Above all, a garden also allows us to witness the entire life cycle of a plant, from seed to growth to fruit and seed again. You have a front-row seat to nature with abundant opportunities to taste and see that the Lord is good.
I don’t worry about lesson plans or unit studies as we work in the garden; we go outside. Once in the garden, they will find many things to study and observe. I deeply believe that nature study isn’t necessarily about how many trees or birds your child can identify, how “wild” a wild animal you encounter, or how beautiful a picture they can paint in their nature journal. It is, at its core, TIME. When I give myself time to be in my garden, which is a part of God’s creation, I cannot help but be in a relationship with Him. The more I see his mighty Hand at work in the speck of earth that I cultivate, the more I am filled with wonder of God’s goodness, and that, to me, is nature study.
If you want to start a garden but don’t know where to begin, I recommend starting with just a small space. Then, let your young children dig in the dirt, especially boys. Physically working the ground gives them the greatest sense of reward, of a job well done. Then, let them plant one thing that is theirs and let it be theirs. Do they love peas? Let them plant them. Then watch. That is it. You will notice the beautiful pea flowers, and you will taste the amazing crispness of the fresh peas. You will see how the pea can withstand frosts that would wilt your tomatoes. You will see how the pea climbs its fence with little tendrils growing to grasp and hold. Give yourself grace, wink at the weeds that will grow, and enjoy it all: mistakes and successes.
If gardening is not your thing, do not feel burdened to add this as another element to your study. We all have our passions and gifts that we share with our children. I would encourage the gardeners to see what they are already doing as nature study. Draw your children alongside you as you walk in the garden and know that it is a gift you are giving them.
Rebecca Nickels 2024