Natural Sponge Gardens

04/27/2018

We know we cannot plant seeds with closed fists. To sow, we must open our hands.
Adolfo Perez Esquivel

An affordable and easy-to-accomplish idea for helping children experience the magic of seed growth is to create a natural sponge garden. Sandra Duncan and Jody Martin explain how in their popular new book, Bringing the Outside In:

"Plant a fast-growing garden on a natural sponge. Soak the natural sponge in water for 10 to 15 minutes and then gently squeeze the excess moisture out of the sponge. After soaking some fast-growing seeds (i.e. mung beans, parsley, grass, mustard) in room temperature water for at least four hours, drop the seeds into the holes of the partially wet sponge. Tie a string around the sponge and hang it up in a moderately sunny spot.

Check the sponge each day to be sure it’s moist – a good responsibility for children and excellent documentation opportunity. On the weekends, give the sponge an extra dose of water or place the sponge in a shallow container with a small amount of water to keep it from drying out."

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