|
|
GARDENING WITH CRIPPLED CHILDREN
By Evelyn Hanlon, R.N. I want to tell you about
the gardens we have had the last three years at the D.T. Watson home for
Crippled Children, where I work as a nurse. In 1941 we thought it about
time the children had a garden of their own, where they could dig to
their hearts' content and pick their own flowers and vegetables. We
selected a plot away from the house on a strip near the greenhouse.
Small tools were bought and we began to dig—at first with good will.
Those of you who do not know the crippled child will find it hard to
understand just how we managed at all, but I tried to give them things
to do that would help their weak muscles and not tire them too much. The
worst ones are those who wear leg braces that come high on the thighs.
They just cannot stoop. They had to sit in the path and reach from
there.
In this garden we bordered the whole plot with strawberries, which
yielded just a few that year. We grew popcorn and had a wonderful
popcorn celebration on Hallowe'en. The children could hardly believe it
was their own corn which was popped.
Many times that year of our first garden I wondered if it was worth
while. Interest lagged and the weeds tried to get ahead of us, and some
of the children began to realize that it was more work than play and
that they could not keep dressed up all the time and still work in the
garden. I began to think that we had kept our girls too sheltered or
something. Anyway I decided to move the garden up near the building the
next year and see how that would work. In the mean-time the strawberries
kept on growing and now have taken up the entire plot and at last we
have a strawberry garden.
Now about our real Victory Garden which we had last summer and which I
think was a success for the children, but I am afraid we can hardly say
that it was economical from a food standpoint.
We had to have a plot near the building where I could run out when I had
a moment to spare from my nursing duties and where we could watch the
younger children and keep them interested.
The only land near the building is our wide and sloping lawn, but I did
find a fairly flat spot on the east side of the building around from the
back door and accessible from the library. Just the place, but Oh! that
beautiful lawn—it seemed a shame to dig it up. But after conferences
with the supervisor we decided it would be the ideal spot. So plans were
drawn up with the help of the children, and seeds ordered and started
indoors.
Some of the little boys in bed were so homesick for the farm, and this
was a good outlet for them. They were able to do the indoor work and
took great pride with their seeds and plans. |
|
click for larger photo
Victory Gardens
Handbook of the
Victory Garden Committee
War Services, Pennsylvania
State Council of Defense
April, 1944
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page v
page vi
page vii
|
