
DATE: Thursday, July 24, 1997               TAG: 9707210353

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Cover Story 

SOURCE: By JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  102 lines

GARDENING'S A ZOO FROM CATNIP TO CARROTS, YOUNGSTERS ARE LEARNING HOW TO RAISE BUMPER CROPS.

CHRIS LANDRUM was elated.

After a week away from his burgeoning garden, he'd returned on a recent sweltering Saturday to find a bumper crop of catnip for his two cats and enough carrots to keep his pet guinea pig, Danielle, chomping all week.

``This is the first time I've ever gotten any carrots,'' the 10-year-old Ghent resident exclaimed as he plucked weeds from his 4-foot-square plot at Norfolk's Virginia Zoological Park. ``And look at this catnip . . . it's really gotten out of control. Oh, but look at that banana pepper. It isn't doing too well.''

Master Gardener Barbara Maas peered over her young charge's shoulder.

``But can you imagine how big it will get next week?'' she asked, reassuring him. ``It just needs a little time.''

``Yeah,'' Chris absent-mindedly agreed as he examined a nearby patch of oregano. ``Uh, oh. Something's been chomping on this, though.''

``It will be a good host for caterpillars,'' Maas pointed out.

``Yeah,'' the boy agreed. ``I guess it all looks good. Yeah, it looks good. My pets will be happy.''

For the last few months, Chris and seven other children have come to the zoo each week, not just to peer at the monkeys and elephants, but to learn some fundamentals about a skill their parents hope will stick for life. Under the tutelage of volunteer Master Gardeners, the children - ages 7 through 11 - begin in March of each year, cultivating a small plot of earth, germinating seeds, planting, weeding and watering their growing garden and, eventually, harvesting their own vegetables.

Along the way, they learn about soils, insects, ecology and other topics relating to gardening.

``Gardening is the No. 1 hobby in the country,'' explained Mark Schneider, zoo horticulturist and coordinator of the program. ``It's a lot of fun. Learning by doing and having a good time really strikes home with children. And there's nothing more rewarding than to teach people to garden.''

As a community-based facility, the zoo has sponsored gardening programs for children for almost 20 years. Adult Master Gardeners volunteer at the zoo to work one-on-one with the children for two hours on Saturday mornings.

``I enjoy playing in the dirt anyway but I really like seeing the children's reactions . . . especially as they see things begin to grow,'' said Mini Frankenberg, a volunteer with the program since almost its inception.

Not surprisingly, at times the young charges have even taught the masters a few lessons.

``Last year, we had a group of mentally impaired Girl Scouts,'' the Frankenberg recalled.

``They were definitely on their toes. They kept us challenged . . . rather than the other way around.''

In addition to pairing Master Gardeners with children, in recent years the zoo has sponsored a program in which visually impaired adults have worked side-by-side in the dirt with the kids to grow a garden together. The unusual matches came about a few years ago after a scheduling snafu created common meeting times for children gardeners and blind adults.

``It's really a neat interaction that develops between the two groups,'' Schneider explained. ``So we started pairing them together. The kids almost act as the adults' eyes. It's really heart-warming to watch.''

For some reason, however, this spring the program suffered a drastic decline in enrollment. The only pair to garden together eventually had to cut back on their activities because of the illness of one member.

In the meantime, about a dozen young gardeners and Masters have visited the zoo every week. For parents like Debbie Damiani of Ocean View, the activity has been a ``godsend'' for her son.

``I've had trouble getting him involved in other activities because he has a hard time concentrating on anything,'' the mother said, watching 10-year-old Derek water his plot. ``He loves science and math and plants. So this has been ideal. . . . And we've discovered he's got a green thumb. He's fascinated by putting a seed in the ground and seeing what happens. This program has just been great for him.''

It's also helped the mother discover a few things about herself.

``I'm never been much of a gardener,'' Damiani admitted. ``I work full-time, so it's hard. But I've learned a lot from being here with him.''

Each growing season brings new discoveries, even for veteran kid gardeners like Chris Landrum, who has been involved in the zoo program for the last three years.

``Last year, I even grew a baby watermelon; this year, I've got oregano for pizza,'' the Taylor Elementary School fourth-grader said. ``I like getting dirty and looking at plants and seeing how they can be used for other purposes. I really enjoy doing this. I know I'll keep coming year after year, or as long as they let me.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color cover photo by Gary C. Knapp

Master Gardener Mini Frankenberg helps Ella Swain...

Photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Eight-year-old gardener Ella Swain rests on a bench after gathering

bags of herbs in her plot at the Virginia Zoological Park.

Graphic

WANT TO GARDEN, TOO?

The Virginia Zoological Park's gardening programs for children,

blind adults and the mentally challenged meet on Saturdays from

March to July.

Cost is $30 for members and $38 for non-members.

For more information on registering, call the education

department at 626-0803.