About Garden2Grow

Garden2Grow was created on the belief that the act of gardening creates multiple learning opportunities. Through these encounters we can grow more than healthy plants. We can grow healthy people. This speaks literally to the health benefits provided through gardening (1-6) as well as many other aspects. In the garden is a great place to grow relationships. I grew up gardening alongside my mother. We developed a very strong relationship based on our common obstacles and successes from the garden. I had an instant connection with my grandparents who spent their lives gardening. In our new home one of the first things we did was replace the landscape rocks out front with a garden. This dramatic change has resulted in numerous conversation prompts with neighbors passing by who share their gardening stories. Time in the garden can help us grow work ethic. Anyone who has gardened before knows the amount of work it takes to maintain a garden through a season. Gardening can help grow self-esteem as the gardener experiences success. Research supports the use of gardens in education for the positive effects they have had on science achievement (7, 8), environmental appreciation (9, 10), and overall social development (11, 12). It is the goal for this resource to provide ideas and tools to help you and your youth gardeners to grow in more ways than one.

About Me

My name is Cynthia Domenghini and I write the content for Garden2Grow. I have a multiple subject teaching credential and spent several years substitute teaching in the elementary classroom and two years teaching elementary music. Prior to teaching, I earned my bachelors of science degree in horticulture from California Polytechnic State University. It is there that I fell in love with my husband, also a horticulturist. We have a five year old son who, much to my husband's credit, knows more scientific and common plant names than I knew when I started college. This year our son grew his first plant on his own; a tomato plant named, "Mr. Stripey". A few years ago my husband and I attended Kansas State University where we earned our doctorates in horticulture. I had envisioned a different career post-grad school than working from home, but I am loving this adventure. I look forward to sharing resources with you and hope you will come back often.



Research Cited:
1 Pothukuchi, K. 2004. Hortaliza: A Youth “Nutrition Garden” in Southwest Detroit. Children, Youth and Environments 14(2):124-155.

2 Lineberger, S. E. and Zajicek, J. 1999. School gardens: Can a hands-on teaching tool affect students’ attitudes and behaviors regarding fruits and vegetables? HortTechnology 10(3):593-597.

3 Morris, J. and Zidenberg-Cherr, S. 2002. Garden-based nutrition curriculum improves fourth-grade school children's knowledge of nutrition and preferences for some vegetables. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 102(1): 91-93.

4 Gatto, N., Ventura, E., Cook, L., Gyllenhammer, L., and Davis, J. 2012. LA Sprouts: A garden-based nutrition intervention pilot program influences motivation and preferences for fruits and vegetables in Latino youth. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 112(6): 913-920.

5 Koch, S., Waliczek, T. and Zajicek, J.. 2006. The Effect of Summer Garden Program on the Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of Children. HortTechnology 16 (4): 620-625.

6 McAleese, J.D., and Rankin, L. 2007. Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Sixth-Grade Adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 107 (4): 662-665.

7 Klemmer, C. D., Waliczek, T. and Zajicek, J. 2005. Growing minds: The effect of a school gardening program on the science achievement of elementary students. HortTechnology 15(3):448-452.

8 Smith, L. L., and Motsenbocker, C. 2005. Impact of hands-on science through school gardening in Louisiana public elementary schools. HortTechnology 15(3):439-443.

9 Skelly, S. M., and Zajicek, J.. 1998. The effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students. HortTechnology 8(4):579- 583.

10 Lohr, V.I. and Pearson-Mims, C.. 2005. Children’s active and passive interactions with plants influence their attitudes and actions toward trees and gardening as adults. HortTechnology. 15(3): 472-476.

11 Miller, D. L. 2007. The Seeds of Learning: Young Children Develop Important Skills Through Their Gardening Activities at a Midwestern Early Education Program. Applied Environmental Education & Communication 6(1):49-66.

12 Robinson, C.W., and Zajicek, J. 2005. Growing minds: the effects of a one-year school garden program on six constructs of life skills of elementary school children. HortTechnology 15(3):453-457.