The joys of growing

SUNFLOWER HOUSES by Sharon Lovejoy, Workman Publishing, New York, 1991 and 2001, $13.95.

Does life get any better than spring in Maine? The snow mountains and slush puddles vanish. Trees are newly clothed in pale green baby leaves and blossoms. The streets ring with the sweet sounds of children playing.

My son, Adam, 4, proudly presents me with bouquets of dandelions. What a perfect time for Sharon Lovejoy’s “Sunflower Houses” to become available for children and their grown-ups.

In a recent phone chat from her winter home in California, Lovejoy said the book’s genesis lay in her careful collection of stories, poems, games and other floral traditions. She noticed her senior-citizen friends became youthful and animated as they shared treasured memories. She also noticed such times of quiet enchantment are sadly missing from the lives of our hurried children. “They’re getting so far from earth, from nature,” she said.

She learned, however, that it was times, not kids, that had changed. Lovejoy found youngsters eager to wish on dandelions, wear blossom crowns and carefully piece together flower jump ropes. After she spoke at one school, a little girl declared, “I’m not gonna feel poor no more. I know I can go out and make things from the garden.”

“Sunflower Houses” was created for the sake of the children and the traditions. Published in 1991, it sadly went out of print in 1998. Fan letters from all over the world, many containing photographs of prized garden creations, inspired Workman Publishing to give it a new lease on life.

This beautiful book, printed on rich, creamy paper, goes far beyond gardening instruction. There are lovely creations children can make from growing things, such as gourd bird houses, pansy dolls, walnut-shell boats, and willow whistles. Kids who love to keep secrets will learn how to make invisible ink. Christina Rosetti’s tribute to a caterpillar’s metamorphosis is only one of the many touching poems. And the rich memory stories of gardeners, young and old, help to make this book as suited to savoring on a rainy day as to discovery on a sunny one.

Because Lovejoy believes enchanted play places are precious beyond measure, sunflower houses are the centerpiece of the book. Yes, they can be grown in a Maine climate. There was one at a University of Maine trial garden a few years ago. Seeds to create one can be obtained from Johnny’s Select Seeds of Albion. Also, check out the bean-and-gourd teepee and the butterfly garden.

If, like me, you’re short on space and money, this is the gardening and more book for you. Many of the projects are free or inexpensive. How about joining your kids in playing “tops” with acorns, recycling old cardboard boxes by sliding down a grassy slope, or rediscovering the pleasures of sand castle creation? My daughters, Katie, 8, and Amber, who will be 11 on May 29, will be starting their sunflower garden in the compartments of egg cartons. The cardboard will disintegrate when the plants are transplanted.

Lovejoy has a message she wants families to get from her book. “I want them to know that you play outside and experience it, that the best things in life are free, that it’s even better when you grow it. I want them to get out and keep alive all the floral traditions.”

Lovejoy fears today’s parents equate quality time with expensive, structured events. “People forget that the quiet times, the free times, the unexpected pleasures are what really matter. Read to your children. Show them how to do crafts. Draw with them. Let them be children and cherish their fresh perspectives on life.”

If you are inspired by “Sunflower Houses,” check out Lovejoy’s Web site at www.sharonlovejoy.com.

Now, get out and celebrate spring.