GREEN SCENE
May: The month when gardeners can be born
The pleasures we derive from gardening as grown-ups must have, I am quite sure, their origins in our earliest years. I clearly remember helping my father to seed radishes, on my knees, with a tape measure to plant the seeds with strict military precision. When finally seeds sprouted and the first glimpse of red appeared below the green leaves, I was enthralled. In my mind there were no morebeautiful red radishes to harvest some weeks later. The thrill I felt at seeing my first flowers bloom is the same I feel today when the first tips of growth burst through the soil.

Gardening with your children can have a lasting effect. A new gardener will be born, but first you have to pry them away from whatever screen, pod or console is claiming their attention. There is a childhood condition referred to as "nature deficit disorder."

Appreciation of the natural world has given way to other seemingly more important and interesting things, but children are children and need freedom to play outdoors, which leads to their own discoveries such as collecting seed pods, making bowers, planting seeds, picking flowers, harvesting a home-grown tomato, climbing trees and following a trail of ants.

My father's diligent presence among his roses and peonies instilled in me a love of nature and gardening, passing on knowledge about "good and bad" plants, pointing out interesting geological formations during our Sunday walks, and showing me rainbow trout in the fast-flowing river.

A friend of mine created a wonderful garden spot for the young children in her family, complete with a little swing, carmine red chairs, a small pulsating waterfall with a resident frog, and plants children can relate to. Watercress from the overflowing waterfall is tasted in the summer, forget-me-nots, violets and nasturtium are picked to add to salads, blueberries gathered for breakfast, strawberries picked and raspberries reached for before the birds get to them. And when a Monarch butterfly rests on a bright-colored monarda in front of their eyes, their delight is obvious. Fragrance from lavender and rosemary, color and texture of different types of lettuce and other salad veggies, all nurture their growing mind and generate intense curiosity about nature.

"A Child's Garden ofWonder" is a great assortment of seeds specifically collected for young children, with names likeWee Be Little Pumpkins, Trombolina Squash, French Breakfast Radish, Purple Podded Pole Bean, Adelaide Baby Carrots and more, available from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds.

Scores of studies show that a natural environment heightens mental acuity, diminishes stress and even speeds physical healing. We work better mentally, physically and emotionally with a steady infusion of nature. Introduce the young ones in your life to the joys of gardening- you will not regret it.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

What if your garden was full of bright, beautiful blooming azaleas not once, not twice, but three times a year? If you love springblooming azaleas, you can enjoy this explosion of color season after season with encore azaleas. Following the spring bloom, you will get "encore" performances twice more throughout the year. These

stunningly beautiful blooms have revolutionized the azalea industry and are fairly new on the market. Blooms are 2-3 inches across, single or double bloom form with names like Autumn Coral, Autumn Chiffon, Autumn Rouge, all in all 23 new varieties of fall blooming azaleas. Look for them in your garden center now to enjoy them throughout the year.

It's time to…

• Prune spring flowering shrubs as soon as flowering is finished. • Transplant new seedling on an overcast day. Pinching off flowers and buds at transplanting encourages a stronger root system. •When planting your prized tomatoes, remove all but the top leaves and set the plant deep, right up to those leaves. The buried stems will produce a stronger root system. • Place cages or stakes now to avoid damaging roots later. • Sow seeds of beans, corn, basil and other warm-weather vegetables and herbs. • Acclimate your houseplants gradually to the outdoors and keep themin filtered sunlight.

Gotti Kelley, past president of the Navesink Garden Club, serves on the board of the Garden Club of New Jersey.