Gardening and homeschooling have a lot in common. Most gardeners
research what grows well in their area, have a
plan for their garden, purchase plants, then water, fertilize and prune their plants as needed. Flower beds are weeded as needed.
Homeschoolers often
research homeschooling,
homeschooling methods and
learning styles before embarking on their homeschooling journey.
Plans are made for the school year, books and supplies are purchased, lessons are taught, school work is assigned and reviewed (graded) and plans revised as needed.
What's in a name? Well a lot of people consider
Goldenrod (aka
Solidago) to be a weed, I consider it to be a beautiful wildflower, and count myself lucky to have it growing in my yard. The great thing about wildflowers is they require little care on my part. Here is some Goldenrod mixed in with
Statice (aka Sea Lavender and Marsh Rosemary). Statice symbolizes remembrance.
C h r y s a l i s ღ presents
Bible Names and Why They Matter and
3 Miracle Parenting Tools .
Rational Jenn presents
Peopleguy Tours posted at
Rational Jenn.
Cherish presents
My beef with public education as well as
Dial it in! posted at
FCIWYPSC.
Columbines are found in many parts of North America in different colors and shapes. Look for them beside rivers, in the woods, in the rough terrain of the Rocky Mountains and in many home
gardens. They are extremely easy to grow and reproduce by scattering their own seeds. Amy @ Hope Is the Word presents
Read Aloud Thursday?Snow! posted at
Hope Is the Word.
Encore® Azaleas are the only patented brand of azaleas to bloom in spring,summer and fall. I expected them to do well as we live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast but they proved not to be as hardy as the regular Azaleas we have. We planted three and this is the only one that survived. It's beautiful blooms make it a joy to behold throughout the year.
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| Cactus |
Cristina presents
Home Spun comic strip #565 posted at
Home Spun Juggling.
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| Buttercup |
The Buttercup is a terrific plant it reseeds itself every year and blooms all season.
Jessica presents
Labels posted at
Teachable Moments.
Many of you have snow where you live. We are having colder then average temperatures here in South Mississippi. So far the garden has survived but I will have some major pruning and weeding to do once the weather is warm enough.
Sweet Diva offers her thoughts on
Homeschooling While Fighting the Desire to Hibernate....Chris McGinn presents
My new homeschooling friend--Google eBooks posted at
Mothers of Boys.
And Speaking of books if you are interested in gardening or flowers I recommend these books:
- Wildflowers of Mississippi by Stephen L. Timme
- Complete Guide to Flower Gardening by Better Homes and Gardens
- Alabama & Mississippi Gardener's Guide by By Felder Rushing and Jennifer Greer
- The Complete Container Garden by David Joyce
I have a purple and white
Devil's Trumpet that I grew from seeds. The Angel Trumpets haven't produced seeds so far, but I have managed to root them from cuttings. I have both pink and yellow and hope to purchase a white one this year.
ChristineMM presents
A Story About 1:1 Homeschool Teaching posted at
The Thinking Mother.
The Mexican Petunia's die back in the winter, but so far they have returned every year. I have the purple and am considering purchasing some pink this year.
Pamela presents
Teasing posted at
Blah, Blah, Blog.
I started the Zinnias from seeds. They were easy to cultivate. I'll probably get some more seeds in a different color this year. I am hoping the pink reseeded themselves.
Cindy presents
Gifted Kids and Standardized Testing posted at
love2learn2day.
The foxgloves reseeded themselves last year. I have my fingers crossed they do so again this year.
Katherine presents
playing school? posted at
No Fighting, No Biting!.
My Stokes Aster pretty much thrives all year, if we have a really hard frost it will die back but as soon as the temperatures warm up it will start to come out again. Produces lovely blooms from mid spring into the summer for me.
No snow here in South Mississippi but at
Delightful Learning you can read all about
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. |
| Foxglove |
Laura presents
Labelling Our Children posted at
Practical Homeschooling.
This is rather bizarre, my Carolina Yellow Jasmine is blooming in January. We are having really strange weather here, colder then average temperatures, less rain then usual and the plants are behaving oddly.
Bore Me to Tears points out that
Scientists know more science.  |
| Buttercup with Moth |
Rebecca Zook presents
Need to remember something important? Breaking news! posted at
Triangle Suitcase - Rebecca Zook's Blog About Learning.
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| Does anyone know what this is? I grew it from a bulb. |
Heather Laurie presents
Teaching Silence posted at
Special Needs Homeschooling.
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| Foxglove |
Kelly Elmore presents
My Worries and Balloon Animals posted at
Reepicheep's Coracle.
Annual Marigolds can be used anywhere to deter Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. They are also known to repel harmful root knot nematodes (soil dwelling microscopic white worms) that attack tomatoes, potatoes, roses, and strawberries. The root of the Marigold produces a chemical that kills nematodes as they enter the soil. If a whole area is infested, at the end of the season, turn the Marigolds under so the roots will decay in the soil. You can safely plant there again the following spring.
Deb @ Not Inadequate tells why she decided to teach Latin to her kids in the post Ut Docui necne ut Docui?
It’s quite an honor to have a plant named after you. It’s an even bigger honor when that plant sports a flower with the most intoxicating fragrance in the world.
Dr. Alexander Garden, a Scottish physician and naturalist, moved to Charleston in 1752. He corresponded with English merchant John Ellis, who just happened to be a good friend of Carolus Linnaeus, the famous Swedish botanist. Linnaeus had developed the genus-and-species system for scientifically naming and classifying plants.
In 1758, Ellis visited a garden outside London to inspect an evergreen shrub thought to be a jasmine and blessed with powerfully scented double white flowers. Ellis doubted it was a true jasmine, and Linnaeus agreed. Ellis convinced Linnaeus to name the new find for his pen pal in Charleston, Alexander Garden. Enter the gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides). Fittingly, in 1762, the New World’s first gardenia was planted in Dr. Garden’s garden.
Why Homeschool presents a
Great arguement for Unschooling: Ted Talk on Child-driven education.
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| Cactus |
Majellamom (Lori) presents
A Blast from the Past...with Blue posted at
Waiting for Charlie....
Check out the
The Lemonade Geography Tour @
Farm School.
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| Roses |
Nak presents
A Living Book for St. Valentine's Day posted at
Sage Parnassus.
Once the Confederate Rose was pure white. During the Civil War, a soldier was fatally wounded in battle. He fell upon the rose as he lay dying. During the course of the two days he took to die, he bled more and more on the flower, till at last bloom was covered with his blood. When he died, the flower died with him. Thereafter, the Confederate Rose (or Cotton Rose), opens white, and over the course of the two days the bloom lasts, they turn gradually from white to pink to almost red, when the flower finally falls from the bush.
The Confederate Rose or hibiscus mutablis is actually a Chinese import. Brought into English gardens in the 1600's, it is said to have gained favor in the South due to its ease of cultivation during the hard financial times after the Civil War.
Barbara Frank Online presents
Black Home Educators Embrace Their Cultural Heritage. This post seems particular timely as yesterday we celebrated
Dr. Martin Luther King Day (Federal Holiday) as well as
Robert E. Lee Day (State Holiday) in South Mississippi. By homeschooling I was able to embrace our Confederate Heritage which is pretty much ignored in the public schools. History buffs might be interested in reading
Robert E. Lee's biography online as well as
A Taste of Freedom by Tommie Thompson about the forgotten slave soldiers who fought in the Civil War for the South.
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| Zinnias with Butterfly |
History is Elementary offers a history lesson on the Spanish American War in her post
Be a Hero: Sink a U.S. Ship. |
| Red Rose |
Shannon @
Mom Improvement post on
Teaching Writing.
This trooper has been blooming all winter, it is actually a type of pansy. It really seems to enjoy the cold weather.
Denise presents
Babymath: Story Problem Challenge III posted at
Let's Play Math!.
Susan Ryan presents
Daytime Curfews Persist in Illinois posted at
Corn and Oil.
Zinnias are another member of the large Aster family of plants and originate in Mexico and the Southwest United States. They come in a form suitable for every garden situation, including single, double, cactus, dahlia, ruffles, and pompon. Colors include every shade except blue, and many are multicolored. Most are prolific bloomers that add beautiful color to the landscape, and many have growth habits that make wonderful additions to container plantings. The uses for Zinnias in the home garden are almost endless. Use them as border plants, fillers for bare spots in perennial gardens, or massed in a garden all their own.
Mama Squirrel presents
Once Upon a Company (review) posted at
Dewey's Treehouse.
My neighbor gave me the seeds to this wonderful plant. And I completely agree with this statement by Lady Bird Johnson, "Where flowers bloom, so does hope".Jimmie presents
Book Report Notebooking Page posted at
The Notebooking Fairy.
John Laugherton presents
Top 50 Social Sites for Educators and Academics posted at
Learn-O-Rama.
Rona Burstein presents
19 Educational Open Courseware Classes About Social Work posted at
Online MSW Program.
Audrey Christopher presents 19 Educational Open Courseware Classes About Sociology posted at
Master of Sociology.
Elizabeth Wright presents
Educating Children with Mood Disorders posted at
Education Degrees.
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| Princess Feather |
For those of you interested in gardening or wildflowers I do a gardening post on Thursdays at
Alasandra, The Cats & A Dog entitled
Thursday in the Garden.
Thanks for visiting the Carnival of Homeschooling.
Homeschool Bytes will be hosting the Carnival next week.
