"THE GIANT TURNIP"

Remember that story.. "The Giant Turnip"? The one how the old man plants a turnip seed and it grows to be so enormous that it is too big for him to harvest on his own?? He calls to his wife who holds him tightly. Together they heave and strain to pull the gigantic vegetable out of the ground. Unfortunately, their combined strength is not enough. So the old lady calls to her son and the three of them together try, again with no success. The story continues, calling for more and more family and then eventually to their farm animal friends. By the end of the story, there is a long line of helpers and it is only when the smallest of them all, the mouse, joins the line that the turnip is finally pulled. Hoorah!! Together they share the feast!!

I loved that story as a child and it still conjours up wonderful meaning to me.

I believe it paints a picture of community spirit. Joining hands for the good of all. Sharing in the rewards, the fruits of our labour.

It also reminds me that even the tiniest of creatures have an important role to play in the cycle of life. Without them, there would be no gardens, no vegetables, no fruits to harvest. We need to be thankful for the little creatures of Earth by not poisoning their environment or destroying them with insecticides :)

Companion planting and natural "pest" deterrents are a much kinder, more economical and ultimately more successful way of gardening. There are many great books and sites on the internet that share a wealth of information on organic gardening.

A favourite Australian author of mine is Jackie French. Jackie has extensive knowledge and experience in natural, organic gardening. I love her writing style and sense of humour. Always a wonderful read. You can find a list of her gardening books here http://www.jackiefrench.com/gardenbooks.html

Share "The Giant Turnip" tale with your children. It will bring them much joy and will also deliver the subtle messages of community, selflessness, gratitude and respect. Afterwards, you may like to play in the kitchen together and cook up some yummy recipes using turnips as an ingredient.

I promise to post some soon, but for now.. baby wakes x