Every plant has a place of origin, a past, present and hopefully, a future. Working together toward a common goal on projects, such as planning and planting gardens with plants used by different cultures, gives everyone a chance to share recipes and plant histories. It is a fun and comfortable way of bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together on the same level. Everyone has a favorite traditional family food using herbs or spices. Adults become young again when they share memories of a homeland or a childhood experience.
Children listen and learn that everyone has a family and a cultural heritage.
More importantly, they have a growing knowledge and understanding of the persons working in the soil beside them. Children learn many things when they garden and play outdoors. Perhaps most notably are the things they learn about their relationships to the earth. A garden is a place that encourages and invites children to discover for themselves the magic, wonder, and unexpected surprises that Mother Nature will reveal to anyone who wants to take a closer look. We, as adults, all have that special body of knowledge that we learned on our own as children about the outdoor world.