The Joy of Growing Lima Beans

Remote learning for kindergarteners is pretty hard. I feel very fortunate that we have a great teacher for the kid. She makes the best out of this awful situation we are all in, and the kid really has taken to her. Hopefully, one day, we will get to meet each other in person.

One of the projects that the teacher has assigned was growing a lima bean in a plastic cup. There was a kit I had to go and pick up at the school, which contained the cup, seed, and dirt. All the kids kept the bean in a wet paper towel until it sprouted roots, and then filling the cup up with dirt, they planted the bean. Weekly, the teacher has the kids bring their bean plant to class, so they can measure it, and keep track as scientists. The kid loves this project, and she gets very excited when she gets to show off her plant.

The other side of this project, is that I also have become excited about this it as well. Every morning, I open up the curtains so light can come in, which leads me to move the bean plant around the apartment for maxim photosynthesis. I check the leaves to make sure they are healthy, and touch the soil to make sure it isn’t too wet, or dry. I even get excited on the mornings when I see the bud of new leaves starting to pop out.

I have discovered the joy in keeping a plant alive.

But I need to watch myself, to make sure I don’t take over this project from the kid. I have even started to think that I might want to plant my own lima bean. Or maybe get a planter box this Spring, and plant my own mess of beans? From working with the kid’s bean plant, I want to have my own experience of growing, of each day checking in on the progress the plants make. I am sure that this has to do with giving each of my days a purpose, which can have a beneficial result.

In that sense, I would like to try my hand to growing gourds.