Children’s Learning Garden

Children’s learning gardens can be a great way to educate youth about plants. Today, Southern Gardening is visiting the Pearl Library Children’s Learning Garden in Pearl, MS. This garden is a joint project between the Rankin County Master Gardeners and the Spring Lake Garden Club. Let’s take a look at some of the plants in this award-winning garden. As you make your way down the single path of the garden, you are surrounded by many different plants. You come upon a plant pot person with a beautiful Portulaca plant representing its hair. I love the dark pink blooms that stand out against the green foliage. Next to the plant pot person is a gorgeous coleus that was grown from passalong seeds. The dark burgundy leaves with the white ruffled edges make this plant stand out among all the green vegetation surrounding it. This garden has many colorful zinnias planted throughout the space. The zinnias are magnets for pollinators, which help with the production of the vegetables and fruits growing in the garden. A Japanese eggplant is still producing long slender fruit that will continue to be enjoyed throughout the fall. At the end of the pathway, a muscadine vine is growing and has bronze-colored grapes. I love this garden because youth and adults are exposed to ornamental plants and vegetable plants. I am Eddie Smith, and I will see you next time on Southern Gardening.