Extend your "green finger"

Stretch out your "green finger". Spring is approaching. The flowers, plants and trees on the road are sprouting. Quickly move your body that is bored at home in winter. Open the window with your baby and buy some. Use small pots and seeds to grow your own plants!

Children, we must not lose nature. As the environment around us becomes more and more convenient and progressive, natural scenery such as forests, soil, grass, and flowers also quietly leave us. Most of the next generation were born in concrete buildings, with few opportunities to truly "contact" nature. As a result, children began to be afraid of directly touching the soil and plants in nature with their bodies, or they no longer respected the lives of other species or even "killed insects at sight." When did those animals that were closely related to humans millions of years ago All kinds of life become strange in the eyes of children? People need nature to balance their souls. In human life, from eating and drinking to clothing, housing, etc., we cannot do without what nature provides. Since nature must always coexist and flourish with us, then we Children should be led to understand nature and get along with nature with a respectful heart. Huang Shenglin, a horticultural therapist at Caoshengyuan Horticulture Therapy Studio, believes that leading children back to the embrace of nature has the function of giving children life education, ecological education and natural education. In addition, various plants in nature are themselves Tough living beings, when two living beings come into contact with each other, the child will experience the balance of body, mind and spirit due to natural nourishment, and will grow stronger. Nature makes children feel positive and healthy. If dads have the experience of putting down their heavy workload and walking into nature to relax, they should have experienced the tranquility and vitality emanating from nature. After a leisurely journey, their souls will be refreshed. It's like going through a comfortable SPA and being fully charged to face tomorrow's challenges; similarly, children are like seedlings that have just sprouted. After being watered and baptized by nature, they will become more positive and positive. healthy. Teacher Huang Shenglin said that there was an interesting study in the United States that showed that if children had the experience of playing with and eating dirt when they were young, the rate of depression in them would be relatively low in the future. "Nature Deficit Disorder" Richard, a senior journalist in the United States. Love observed that adolescent problems in European and American countries were becoming increasingly serious, so he tried to find out the core of the problem. Finally, he concluded in his book "Children Lost in the Forest" that modern urban children generally suffer from "big problems". Nature Deficit Disorder", the main symptoms are compulsive behavior, anxiety, irritability and inability to concentrate. Horticultural therapy focuses on spiritual nourishment. Recently, "horticultural therapy" has gradually received more and more attention from Chinese people. However, the "treatment" in this term may cause people to misunderstand its meaning. Teacher Huang Shenglin said that the scope of horticultural therapy is quite wide. From young children to the elderly and even some special children, everyone can come into contact with nature through horticultural therapy activities, but the purpose of its activities is to allow people to achieve " "Balance of body, mind and soul" helps those ethnic groups who rarely have the opportunity to contact nature to re-understand the power of nature. When people with various imbalances in body, mind, and spirit return to nature, they can open their horizons and minds, and let the energy of nature become the "medicine" behind their lives. Get in touch with nature and start by touching the soil. Jasmine’s mother, the founder of Jasmine Garden, has lived abroad for many years. The eldest child, Emma, ??was born and raised abroad. In those relatively backward countries, children grow up barefoot. They don’t have the rich material things that fill the streets, but they have primitive of simplicity. Riding horses, chasing sheep, playing with flowers, and running on the prairie, Emma loves nature and never excludes contact with various flowers, grass, soil, etc. in nature. After returning to Taiwan, I settled in the city of Taipei. I was surrounded by busy traffic when I went out, and I was like a matchbox in a high-rise building at home. One day, when Moli’s mother took Emma to play outdoors, Emma was unwilling to take off her shoes and walk into the earth again.

"Oh, it's so dirty!" is the reason Teacher Huang Shenglin hears most often why children don't want to take off their shoes and walk into the fields. "Most of those are concepts given to children by adults," Teacher Huang Shenglin believes that if you want your children to The simplest way to reconnect with nature is to lead them to "touch the soil". Small children can also play with the soil. When doing the topic of parent-child gardening, I originally thought that only by taking children to "really plant plants" can it be called parent-child gardening. In fact, since children aged 0 to 2.5 years old are not fully developed, they cannot Plants were planted according to the instructions smoothly, so Huang Shenglin suggested: "Let them play with soil and water to develop their senses!" Dry soil has a very special touch, and most children will like it very much after trying it a few times. If the child cannot accept it, dad can try more than mommy; in addition, fragrant flowers and herbs can also be placed in front of the child so that he can touch and smell them. Most herbs are edible. It doesn’t matter if your child accidentally eats it! Foaming stones and cultivation soil are suitable for children’s first exposure. Teacher Huang Shenglin said that if children are afraid of ordinary soil, they can first try foaming stones with different textures. If you are afraid that your children will touch unclean soil, culture soil is a good choice; culture soil is composed of many fibrous plants, so it is cleaner and has a better touch, allowing children to touch and play with peace of mind. Go to the park and take off your shoes! When your children are older, before planting plants, you might as well take them to a nearby park or even a vegetable garden to observe the characteristics of the plants near your home. Moli's mother's favorite thing every afternoon is to take her children out of the room and go for a walk in the park near her home. When she encounters various plants along the way, she stops to take a look and touch them. Over time, the children will also Taking the initiative to inform Jasmine’s mother about the results of her explorations will also make it easier to discover the new buds, blossoms and other details of the big tree. Teacher Huang Shenglin believes that walking barefoot on the ground can stimulate the Yongquan point of the body to absorb the earthy air. When you go to the grass in the park, take off your shoes and feel the tingling and itching feeling of the grass touching the soles of your feet. This is the simplest way. Close contact with nature. Children love to step on dry soil. Not all children like the feeling of stepping on the soil. If they are afraid of nature, nature will not be able to enter the child's inner world. If the soil feels wet, sticky and uncomfortable after it rains, parents can try to spread a layer of dry soil on top, which will make it more acceptable to the children. Respect for plants requires the help of adults to remind them. Interaction with other life forms also has the important function of "life education". Jasmine’s mother believes that by watching the different changes in plants every day and realizing that they are fragile living entities that need to be cared for carefully, children will have more and more feelings for plants and will not waste them at will. Different lives. When teacher Huang Shenglin takes children to do gardening activities, she always emphasizes the life of plants and encourages children to talk to plants more. One time, a girl wanted to pick the cherry blossoms off the tree. Teacher Huang did not stop her, but told her that the cherry blossoms are also a part of the tree. If you want to pick off the things on it, should you also use your own things to follow? What does it change? So the girl finally decided to pull out a hair and exchange a cherry blossom with the tree. In this incident, the girl will learn more about the life of plants and the relationship between her own life. Plant plants to cultivate children's observation and patience. When children become more interested in plants, you can take them to plant various plants at home. Planting plants is a part of life, and it is also the easiest way for children to communicate with other living things. At the beginning, parents can take the original plants at home and observe (touch, smell, look at) the growth of the plants with their children. Although each child's stay time is different, it is important to let them If the child has a little interest in plants, maybe he will be willing to stay a little longer when he sees different plants next time.

Let’s go to the flower market before planting. Jasmine’s mother thinks that taking her children to the flower market to see the different flowers and plants in different seasons is a great parent-child time. In the process, it can also increase the children’s curiosity about various plants. Heart, very interesting! Let the kids do it! Moli's mother takes her children to planting activities, usually explaining them as she goes along, and asking the children to ask questions. After explaining, she will let the children complete all the details themselves. Although the process may make the table and floor full of dirt and tools, and the finished product may look a little "unlike," it is the result of each child's own efforts. Regardless of whether the result is perfect in the eyes of adults, the child will like it very much. In the long run, you can obviously see that the children become more independent and more involved. In addition, it is usually very time-consuming for children to concentrate on completing all the details. Parents should show their patience and encourage their children to complete one thing from beginning to end. Small tools, before you start planting, in addition to using your hands, parents can prepare some tools suitable for children, such as shovels, small brushes that can be used to clean potted plants and tabletops at any time, watercolor pens to help dig holes when planting vegetables... Wait, if you can't buy a small shovel specially designed for children, you can use a disposable spoon instead. The shovel will be more general in size and suitable for children to operate. Jasmine’s mother suggested that fathers should try to prepare a set of tools that are exclusive to their children, so that they can feel the responsibilities that adults have given them and start to learn to be independent. In addition, most planting processes do not use "water" , there is no need to clean all the tools after the activity, just wipe them clean before storing them. Choose plants suitable for planting. If you have never planted any plants before, Jasmine’s mother recommends that parents go to the flower market first. Many seasonal flowers and plants are often plentiful, cheap, and easy to grow. In addition, if divided by type, , you can choose the following plants: 1. Vegetables: The most basic type of leafy vegetables is sprouts, such as mung beans or alfalfa sprouts, followed by leafy vegetables such as lettuce, Chinese cabbage, water spinach, green onions, sweet potato leaves, etc. Etc., leafy vegetables can be divided into two methods: sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings. Vegetable seedlings can be purchased at flower markets or seedlings. In order to make leafy vegetables grow taller, remember to transplant them to larger flowers when you get home. Pots; melons and fruits usually require a shelf and take a long time, so it is not recommended to grow them at home. Jasmine Mom reminded that when planting leafy vegetables, special attention should be paid to insect pests. 2. Grasses and flowers: Grasses and flowers, such as various herbs and coriander, are very easy to grow and grow all year round. As long as there is moderate sunlight, you can enjoy cheap and fresh herbs. Plant it in the kitchen, and you can pick some at any time and add it to your dishes! 3. Succulent plants: Succulent plants usually have many wonderful and cute shapes, which are particularly easy to attract the attention of children. In addition, they are easy to care for, making them very suitable for parents and children to take care of together. Most people think that succulents need a lot of sunlight. In fact, succulents with greener leaves are very shade-tolerant. If you are not sure how to take care of them, you might as well ask your boss. Let’s grow plants together! This time we invited Jasmine’s mother and her daughter Emma to demonstrate how to plant three different plants for us. We also introduced the things that mothers need to pay attention to when planting different plants. Roll up your sleeves and take out the potted plants to play together! Healthy Vegetable Field Difficulty: A simple vegetable pot is the best choice for your baby’s first exposure to gardening activities. When placing vegetables in a new home, remember to help it “stand upright” so that it can grow taller and bigger! This time, Jasmine’s mother chose celery, which is easy to grow and does not grow insects. Since the area of ??the pot is not large, the celery can only grow a little higher than the palm of your hand, but it is also very delicious. As for the sprouts next to it, it grows faster. When it is about 7 or 8 centimeters tall, you can pull it out and eat it. Only by eating it can you leave space for the celery to continue to grow. Steps: 1. Find a suitable potted plant and let the child freely use acrylic paint to paint and decorate it. 2. Put a piece of non-woven fabric on the hole at the bottom of the pot to prevent insects and soil from falling out. 3. Add cultivation soil until it is about 50% full. 4. Spread a layer of base fertilizer and fill it with soil until it is nine-tenths full.

5. Dig a small hole in the center with your fingers, put the celery in it, and then cover it with the soil on the side to let the plant "stand upright!" 6. Place the sprouted sprouts evenly around the plant. Notes: 1. (Add a little) Celery likes a cooler and humid climate, and the temperature is preferably between 15 and 22 degrees. Therefore, planting becomes more difficult after mid-to-late April. Mom can choose royal vegetables, water spinach, lettuce and other vegetables instead. . The cultivation of edible sprouts is less affected by the seasons. 2. Base fertilizer is a very needed source of nutrients for edible leafy vegetables. It is recommended to spread the fertilizer in the soil and add a little water to ferment it for a few days before planting, so as to prevent the fertilizer from becoming too salty and unsuitable for the plants. 3. When picking up celery, remember to gently pinch the stem of the plant near the root with your fingers. This is the best way to pick it up. 4. The seeds of bean sprouts should be soaked in water for 1.5 days first. They do not need too much sunlight when growing, otherwise they will suffer when they become too green. After the bean sprouts are picked up and eaten, the entire potted plant can be placed in the water. Let the celery grow well in the sun. Purple Herb Garden Difficulty: Wow, this whole pot of plants exudes different fragrances! Jasmine’s mother chose lavender, rosemary, mint and stevia this time, and planted the plants together. When they grow up, they can make delicious herb tea. In this potted plant, there are two methods: rooted planting and direct "cutting", which is a slightly more difficult planting method. Steps: 1. Find used cans at home and let the children use nails and hammers to drill holes in the bottoms. 2. Use acrylic paint and various materials to decorate the can body. 3. Place a layer of refined stone on the bottom of the jar. 4. Fill with soil until nine minutes full. 5. Divide various herb plants into pots. Mint and stevia should be planted uprooted. For rosemary and lavender, you can choose plants with thicker stems for cuttings. Cut them about 15 centimeters, slightly pull out the bottom leaves, and insert them directly into the soil. Just hit it. Notes: 1. As long as children can hold nails and hammers steadily and concentrate on doing them, there is no need to worry about them knocking their fingers. 2. (Add a little) If there is glue on the surface of the metal can, you can use a hair dryer to melt it and then wipe it off. Then use a cloth soaked in alcohol to wipe the can body. It will be smoother and easier to color. 3. Placing refining stones allows the roots of the plants to have more space to stretch, and when watering, water is less likely to accumulate in the pot and cause the plants to rot. 4. The stems of vanilla plants are thinner than those of leafy vegetables. Remember to carefully cover the roots completely with soil. It is relatively more difficult than leafy vegetables. Parents can leave more space for their children to plant. 5. Cutting plants are more difficult to care for and require more water, but this season is very suitable for propagation. Nanyang Little Garden Difficulty: The succulents grow in strange shapes, some look like mini Christmas trees, some look like coconut trees, and there is also a large grassland. The thick leaves are most afraid of being pinched by children, so be careful when planting so as not to become bare after planting! Steps: 1. Put the colored stones in the glass jar to be planted, and lay a layer on the bottom of the jar. 2. Load into soil. 3. Carefully dig a hole with the tip of a watercolor pen and gently press the plant's roots into the hole. 4. (A little extra) You can use aluminum wire to make a small handle, tie a ribbon with a bow, or use a child's small seal to stamp a small card. These are all easy ways to increase the cuteness. Notes: 1. (Add a little) Jam jars or pickle jars that are usually used up can be kept and reused. 2. There are many choices of stones, and parents can freely choose their favorite styles such as oilstones, pearl stones, etc. 3. When transplanting, first remove a little soil from the roots of the succulents so that the plants can "stretch" in the new pot. 4. (Add a little) It doesn’t need too much water, just water it every week. The amount of water should not be too much to avoid root rot and damage. Huang Shenglin's current position: Horticulture therapist at Caoshengyuan Horticulture Therapy Studio Educational background: Tokyo National University of Foreign Studies, Japan, Merrit College, California, USA Certified horticultural therapist Jasmine's mother's current position: Founder of Jasmine Garden Early Childhood Education Group Educational background: Warwick Business School Finance, UK He has a master's degree in economics. Experience: Convener of Little Seed School and co-founder of the Independent Development Maternal and Child Mutual Aid Association of the Republic of China.

I have lived abroad for many years, from Britain, the United States, France and other countries, to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and other South American continents, and I have been deeply involved in the cultures of many countries.