Towards the beginning of lockdown last year, my mother decided to pick up a new hobby of Gardening and brought home many different plants and flower seeds, tools, a watering can and pots to start a small garden in the balcony of our home. I had never wanted to try out such a hobby, but one day boredom struck me and I decided to help her out. This experience was very informative, I learnt about a variety of plants and flowers, how to present them and that it takes a great deal of effort to maintain them.
Learning Outcomes:
LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
Initially, I did not think of hardening to be a difficult activity. However, I changed my mind once my mother taught me about all the different processes involved in making a garden (even a small one!) look presentable and healthy. From watering to getting rid of weeds and insects to tilling the soil- it was a tedious process that took up time and energy.
LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance.
Plants do not grow quickly, they take time to go through different stages of growth, and so the art of gardening requires commitment and patience. I often found myself disheartened when I could not see my seeds growing into plants and leaves, but I had to reassure myself that if I work hard, my plants would grow and blossom well.
LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.
Like mentioned above, my mother started this garden before I decided to help her with it. If she were not guiding me and telling me what to do, I’d be lost and all my plants would have died very fast. She always reminded me to water them on regular intervals of time and make sure they don’t get eaten by insects or birds. This activity also turned out to be a sort of bonding experience for the both of us, something that we can do together as a mother-daughter duo.
LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.
It is no secret that the environment we live in, our nature, the air we breathe, the food we consume is all polluted. Although planting a few seeds will not magically clear the air, it’s a start. A small one, but it is still significant. Moreover, instead of using chemicalized inorganic products from the market, we have started using vegetables like mini tomatoes and herbs like basil from our own garden.
LO7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.
Once my plants had grown, I realised how attached I had grown to them. After this, whenever I spotted a kid plucking out leaves from a plant or some lady plucking flowers, it hurt me to realise that people take away the essential part of a living, breathing organism for their own selfish needs with no care. I am fortunate to have had this revelation, it has brought me closer to nature and made me understand that we should not take it for granted.
Evidence:
