Saugus Garden Club sponsors educational event on growing vegetables

SAUGUS – The Saugus Garden Club gave kids at the Saugus Library a crash course in hydroponics Tuesday afternoon, with its “Plant-Tastic” class on how to grow plants and vegetables in nothing but water.Nancy Sayles, President of the Saugus Garden Club, showed more than a dozen kids various types of plants that need nothing but water and light to survive. She held up plants growing in nothing but bowls of water, including coleus, chiflera, carrot tops and a spider plant growing out of a light bulb.?We?re teaching them about hydroponics,” said Sayles. “We?re showing how you can grow anything in water. The kids are so much fun and it doesn?t matter what topic we choose, they are always very eager to learn.”Bethany Templeton Klem, the head of the Children?s Department, also passed around several plants and then read a short book called the “Carrot Seed,” about a boy waiting patiently for his carrots to grow despite the nay saying of his family.?It?s about enjoying plants and looking at them and taking care of them,” said Klem. “We get precise without being too technical about it.”When she finished, Klem asked what it took to get the carrot in the story to grow.?Love,” said one participant.Klem said that was true, but the main lesson for the day was water, as was illustrated by a bamboo plant she passed around.?It?s a bamboo plant,” said Klem. “The rocks keep it strong. The roots wrap around the rocks and hold it up. Your toes keep you from falling over and that?s what roots do. These plants are very happy in just water.”Sayles also passed around a green leaf that she had placed in a small cup of water and was already growing new roots.?You can grow whatever you want in water,” said Sayles.According to a handout from the Garden Club, growing plants in water reduces allergies and mold, is cleaner and makes it easier to maintain plants because there?s no dirt and you have to water less frequently.One example of hydroponic growing on a large scale is EPCOT Center at Disney World, where visitors can eat fresh vegetables that are grown in hydroponic gardens, including lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Sayles said even NASA is looking into hydroponic growing to provide vegetables for astronauts.?Someday we may live on Mars and we?ll need food,” said Sayles. “This is a fine way to grow a lot of plants in very little space and you can take it in a spaceship. Your kids may do this one day.”Sayles said Tuesday?s class was a unique learning experience and a good alternative to video games or TV.?It?s something kids can learn about and then try,” said Sayles. “Very often they don?t get horticulture in school or at home. We actually give them examples of these plants and talk about them. The kids see them and the only way they could see them is if they took a hike.”Amy Sewyck was at the class with her 5-year-old son, Jay, and said it was a good opportunity for him not just to learn, but to do some arts and crafts as well.?It?s nice seeing how plants grow in different ways without dirt,” said Sewyck. “He likes to do the crafts part of it. He likes hands-on activities and to make things.”Sayles said teaching the class is a chance for Garden Club members to “give back.”The Garden Club will hold its annual Standard Flower Show in April, and Sayles said they will have a special category just for kids, who will build “fairy houses” out of plants and judges will award a ribbon to the winner.Tuesday?s class definitely had an effect on one 5-year-old, who said he?s going to plant vegetables as soon as he gets home.?I?m definitely going to plant some flowers because I?m going to buy some flower seeds and tomato seeds,” said an enthusiastic Owen Keefe. “I had a tomato plant but the animals kept eating it.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].