Thanks for a great week.

Our first class in the garden lab has come to a close.

We concentrated on some methods for discovering new things and ideas. First an experiment in perspective: we became miniature explorers (only 2 inches tall) to change the way we see things. In one explorer campsite a five foot tall sunflower became a huge shade tree; and in another, some summer poinsettias cast beautiful yellows and reds over a snug shelter. We made miniature gardens/labs for our explorers replete with paths, vegetables and miniature trees (bonsai.) We also made cricket cages to study the local wildlife (a 2 inch grasshopper can be pretty frightening to a 2 inch tall explorer.)

Next, we took series of photos that conveyed information about specific creatures or plants. Some of these series can be seen below.

And last, we began to create signs for the garden to convey information about interesting features like the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica.)