* i * %- . • ! * I Kids Work In Garden JINNY WILT Adams Co. Correspondent The hot summer sun shines brightly on a group of youngsters hunkered down in an herb patch parents in tow pulling weeds. The youngsters are some of 80 taking part this summer in Ash combs Farm and Greenhouses’ Childrens’ Gardening Program at its facility on Grantham Road near Mechanicsburg. These particular children are in the 9-10:30 a.m. Peter Rabbit Class. Others will join class coor dinator and insturctor Charlie Fogleman in the Flower Class and Herb Class later in the day. Ben Kelly, 6, comes to the free classes from his home in Hager stown, Md., so that he “can learn how to plant” While his parents. Erin and Linda Kelly, shop in the bake shop, deli and garden center across the street, Ben is busy pull ing weeds because he “likes to work in a garden.” Meeting the second and fourth Saturday of each month rain or shine the classes have planted gardens named Peter Rabbit, Mr. McGregor, Sunflower House, nas turtium, pizza, bean teepee and traveling herb. Fogelman said they have com pleted such projects as Petunia Pig, made from a large soda bottle, learned to collect and dry material such as herbs, flowers, grasses and weeds, planted a pair of their old shoes and made a topiary ivy wreath. In the next weeks they will make a flower note card, harvest potatoes and sunflowers, do ter rarium plantings and enjoy pump kin and apple time. Kymberlie Davenport, 4, of Steelton, talks about the shoes she planted several weeks ago. “I water them every day and at home I have sunflowers growing," she said. Four sisters Katelyn Grum bine, 8, and Bethany Grumbine, 11, both of Middletown, and Tara Grumbine, 6, and Hilary Grum bine, 4, both of Hummelstown are taking part in their class fol lowed by dad, Jeff Grumbine of Mount Joy. Katelyn said she particularly Children pull weeds from the herb garden at Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses near Mechanlcsburg, sponsors of free classes for kids 5-12 years of age. likes the classes because “We get to make stuff like the pig with cloth eats and a tail and a soda bottle and we planted old shoes.” At Fogelman’s call the young sters sprint from the weeds and herb garden to an area where picn ic tables are set among a garden of flowers and arbors. Here they are assisted by volunteer helpers Bon nie Rhodes, who is a master gar dener, and Sylvia Braderman, a Harrisburg Civic Garden Club volunteer. Other volunteers who help with the classes are Betty Smith, Jane Ciuffetelli, Joanne Ward, Pat Gramm, Patty Kuhns, Patty Suchocki, Janell Oldack and Cyn di Staats. Rhodes said she is helping wih the group because she wants to pay back the support given to a Harrisburg inner city project at Foose School by Ashcombes and Fogelman. “Charlie’s a friend and I leant too,” she said. Braderman, who is on the board of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania and past president of the Garden Club of Harrisburg, enjoys her volunteer work with the youngsters, adding, “I have a love for herbs.” And, she adds, “I love kids. Anything a child is involved in I love to do.” Active in gardening she also notes that through the help of the Garden Club of Harris burg, Ashcombes. and Friends of Riverfront Park, 900 herbs were planted at the Sunken Garden by the Harvey Taylor Bridge. The garden was destroyed several yean ago when the Susquehanna River flooded. Fogelman further explains that the youngsters also learned about tool safety,, the parts of a plant, companion plants, how to plant seeds, plants and potatoes and the dangers of hazardous plants. They have already tasted car rots, radishes, cucumbers, and mint tea and are expected to have a French fry party and a pizza party. The g9al of the program is to involve young people in garden ing and to teach them that working in a garden can be fun and is not all work, Fogelman said. Korfrie r* f t Ashcombes developed the program to give something back to the communtiy and to introduce children to herbs and vegetables. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 23, Ashcombe is having an Herb Fest. The event features herbs and their uses. Displays will be located in tents and seminars will be held in the meeting room at the facility. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the dried flower count er at the center. The children will display some of their projects made during the summer classes. At 11 a.m. Aug. 23, “Cooking with Game and Fish” is scheduled when Wendy Plowman will teach how to use herbs in cooking veni son, goose, moose, duck and sal mon. Cost is $7. TTie class is VA hours long and advance registra tion is necessary. At 2 p.m. the same day “Histor ic Uses of Herbs” wiU be pre sented by Kalman Markus who will present a program on using medicinal herbs. —.