Parkland Garden Club presented a gardening program for children ages 6 to 12 attending the Upper Macungie Township Summer Camp held June through August at Veterans, Jaindl and Fogelsville elementary schools.

Garden club co-chairs Karly Lazo and Vicki Sorg worked with UMT Recreation Supervisor Emily Crosby-Piszczek and Summer Camp Coordinator Makayla Brunnabend to develop the activity which helped the campers learn about pressing flowers and planting seeds.

The participants were divided into three age groups: 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12.

The program was offered separately to each group.

The children began the activity by listening and answering questions from a book called “From Seed to Plant” by Gail Gibbons.

The book introduced the young listeners to the processes of pollination, seed formation and germination.

The Parkland Garden Club is fortunate to have two former teachers who helped with the reading activity – Barbara Campbell, a teacher in the Parkland School District for over 40 years and Marianne Wagner, a 20-year teacher at St. Joseph the Worker School.

In the next part of the activity, the children selected flowers and leaves prepared by PGC volunteers.

The flowers were pressed between folded card stock, left to dry for several weeks and then made into bookmarks at a later class.

Finally, the group was introduced to the four o’clock plant, which blooms every day at approximately four o’clock.

Garden club member Ann Mitman brought samples to show from her garden and seeds she had harvested.

Each child filled a pot with soil, planted one seed and gave it a sprinkle of water.

Additional garden club members who made this activity a success include Gwen White, Debbie Pinto, Maria Dax, Gail Micca, Judy Huff and club president Helen Papathanasiou.