Emma Biggs - Gardening with Emma: Grow and Have Fun: A Kid-to-Kid Guide

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Carleen Madigan and Lisa H. Hiley

Art direction and book design by Carolyn Eckert

Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith

Cover photography by Donna Griffith , www.donnagriffith.com

Illustrations by Rob Hodgson

Map, see , by Emma Biggs

2019 by Steven Biggs

Ebook production by Kristy L. MacWilliams

Ebook version 1.0

January 22, 2019

Interior photography by Donna Griffith , b.r

Additional photography by Philip Ficks,

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Biggs, Emma (Emma Vivian), 2005 author. | Biggs, Steven A., 1971 author.

Title: Gardening with Emma : grow and have fun : a kid-to-kid guide / by Emma Biggs and Steven Biggs.

Description: North Adams, MA : Storey Publishing, 2019.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018021360 (print) | LCCN 2018027775 (ebook) | ISBN 9781612129266 (ebook) | ISBN 9781612129259 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: GardeningJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC SB457 (ebook) | LCC SB457 .B54 2019 (print) | DDC 635dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018021360

To Mom, Shelley Biggs, who doesnt mind tomato stains on my clothes (at least my old clothes) and dirt under my fingernails. And to Nana Joanne, who always had the nicest gardens and who I remember when I am in my garden.

Thank you to everyone Dad and I interviewed for this book: John Bagnasco, Robert Chapman, Linda Crago, Cristina da Silva, Owen, Jack, and Tom DeKay, Phil Hunt, Niki Jabbour, Cathy Kozma, Craig LeHoullier, Colette Murphy, Leanne Rabinowitz, Denise Schreiber, Simon Southwell, Jessica and Ty Walliser, and Ellen Zachos. And a big thank you to photographers Donna Griffith, Kim Lowe, and Mars Vilaubi, and illustrator Rob Hodgson, for their wonderful work.

Thank you to the expert gardeners who inspired me: Chris Gark, Linda Crago, Colette Murphy, and my neighbor Joe Pires.

Thank you to Mom and Donna Young for being another set of eyes.

I ve been helping my dad in the garden since I was little. It started with watering plants and making mud stew. I loved having rides in the wheelbarrow, too! From there I helped Dad make gardens and plant seeds. My first garden had some watermelons and cherry tomatoes. When I was in grade one, I gave a presentation to my school about gardening.

Now I have my own gardens a few of them, actually. Im 12, so I guess I really havent gardened that long, but Ive gardened a long time for a kid. I love it. And Ive always wanted to write a book about gardening. When I was little, I made books by stapling together my garden drawings, and I made signs for Dad when he gave garden talks or had a table at gardening events. When his first book came out, I made signs that said, By Steven Biggs, helped by Emma.

Ive had fun writing this book with Dad. Now I can write, By Emma Biggs, helped by Steven.

Kids have different ideas about gardening than grown-ups do. To understand what grown-ups want, we need to understand how they think. Mostly it seems grown-ups want their gardens to look good for when other grown-ups come visit! For a grown-up, looking good means straight rows, no weeds, and level soil. They want the garden to be tidy. This means they might not want us kids in the garden because kids can mess up gardens. Its about looks.

I know because my brothers do this stuff and it makes Dad crazy.

• Make roads in the garden with toy trucks.
• Play tag in the garden.
• Kick soccer balls into the garden.
• Paint themselves with mud.
• Pack down the soil by stepping on it.
• Step on plants.
• Lift stepping-stones to look for bugs.
• Dig holes to look for worms or water.