Burpee's National I Can Grow Program Continues Support of Young and Novice Gardeners

WARMINSTER, Pa., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- W. Atlee Burpee & Co. continues its support of younger and novice gardeners and the increased interest in children's gardening education with the release of the new Burpee Home Gardens® I Can Grow Guide, offering ideas for teachers, youth group leaders and volunteers on how to cultivate a successful youth garden program. This resource is in addition to the Burpee Home Gardens Garden Fresh gardening guide that covers virtually every aspect of how to start and maintain a home garden for beginners.

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"We are committed to supporting young and novice gardeners," said George Ball, chairman and CEO of the W. Atlee Burpee Company. "By providing this new generation with the resources and inspiration needed to succeed, we're helping them realize their goals of healthier living and minimizing environmental impact by eating locally. The act of gardening also nourishes the body and soul, and we hope the availability of the new resources will continue to increase interest."

The recently launched 55-page I Can Grow Guide, developed in conjunction with the National Gardening Association, offers seven recommended steps for starting an edible garden for youth:

1. Building the case
2. Gathering support
3. Planning the program
4. Designing the garden
5. Searching for resources
6. Planting and maintaining the garden
7. Sustaining the garden program

The guide also provides a host of lesson ideas for school gardens in many subject areas, including science, math, history, language arts, health and nutrition, along with activity ideas for community gardens. It also includes topics like starting a youth garden business, cooking classes and beginning a neighborhood beautification project.

For the home gardener, Burpee is offering its free 32-page Garden Fresh gardening guide with easy-to-follow instructions on how to start, maintain and build a vegetable garden. It also includes information on topics such as garden planning, what vegetables to grow, water and fertilizer, and tips and tricks to maximize success. Both resources are available free to those who register at www.BurpeeHomeGardens.com.

Burpee's I Can Grow program supports a growing interest in fresher, more nutritious food, supporting community needs, environmental responsibility, saving money, and finding personal satisfaction through home gardening. As part of the program, Burpee Home Gardens installed a community garden in Dallas on April 24 as a sponsor of the inaugural Promise of Peace Eco Festival. The installation included 20 raised garden beds and hundreds of vegetable and herb plants from the new Burpee Home Gardens garden center plant line. Similar community garden installations are planned in other cities later this spring. Additionally, Burpee Home Gardens' sponsorship of an April 22 Potting Up activity at the New York Botanical Gardens Everett Children's Adventure Garden taught hundreds of New York City schoolchildren about the life cycle of plants and allowed them to plant their own tomato and pepper plants to take home and nurture.

These new resources and the sponsored youth gardens are components of Burpee's I Can Grow program, which focuses on supporting four key motivations for home vegetable gardening:

• Education: Including nationwide school and community gardening programs, along with the I Can Grow Guide and the Garden Fresh gardening guide.
• Eating better: Including a youth gardening curriculum to help children learn where food comes from and emphasizing the value of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet, along with the launch of Burpee Home Gardens, a new Burpee product line of vegetable and herb varieties in garden centers nationwide.
• Environment: Including school and community youth gardening programs that promote homegrown food production to reduce food's carbon footprint.
• Economy: Including ongoing tips and tricks to help new gardeners get the most from their vegetable gardens and save money on the family grocery bill.

To learn more about the I Can Grow program, visit www.burpeehomegardens.com; www.twitter.com/BurpeeHG; or the Burpee Home Gardens Facebook fan page.

ABOUT BURPEE: Burpee was founded in 1876 by seed pioneer W. Atlee Burpee. The company remains  privately owned by George Ball, a third-generation seedsman, who serves as chairman of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and is past president of The American Horticultural Society. Today, Burpee is the largest, most progressive garden company in North America offering seeds, garden plants and gardening supplies through the company Web site (www.burpee.com), direct-mail catalogs, and via retail garden centers nationwide. Burpee offers both heirloom and hybrid varieties, and is credited for introducing the world to numerous ornamental and edible breakthrough varieties during its 134-year history. Burpee's headquarters, display gardens and research farm are located in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  

SOURCE W. Atlee Burpee & Co.