Grow , livre ebook

Grow

Written by

Riz Reyes

Illustrated by

Sara Boccaccini Meadows

NEW YORK
We often think of superheroes as humans with

extraordinary abilities and powers, but couldn't we say

the same about plants or flowers? We often overlook just how

remarkable and resilient they can be: doing things we never could

and saving our lives by simply existing on this earth.

Growing up, I began to see plants as my heroes: fighting through the

challenges of life each and every day, showing their clever ways of growing,

adapting, and teaching valuable life lessons each and every season.

It s almost magical how they grow and flourish around us,

providing food, shelter, and medicine.

Each chapter of this book celebrates the heroic efforts of a few plant heroes"

that have sustained our communities and shaped many cultures around the

world. From the wild species to the domesticated selections, each plant and

its relatives offer us unique ways of better understanding various fruits,

vegetables, and flowers, and the vital roles they play.

The beauty of growing plants and gardening offers one guarantee:

You will never stop learning. Even in writing this book, I found myself

continually being amazed at just how much more I needed to know, but

more importantly, how much more I wanted to know. Hopefully children will

uncover their own botanical heroes through reading this book, while older

readers can rediscover theirs in a way that we can fully and authentically

appreciate the natural world around us.

- R.R.

To my friend Audi and my nieces and nephews - R.R.

To my little sunflower, Jaiah - S.B.M.
CONTENTS

2

Z

MINT

HERO OF AROMA and REMEDY

of the mint family

6

Z

LETTUCE

HERO OF VARIETY and VERSATILITY

of the daisy family

1 0

Z

MUSHROOM

HERO OF COMMUNICATION and COMMUNITY

of the fungi kingdom

1 4

Z

DAFFODIL

HERO OF RENEWAL and REGENERATION

of the amaryllis family

1 8

Z

PINEAPPLE

HERO OF FLAVOR and FRIENDSHIP

of the bromeliad family

2 2

Z

TOMATO

HERO OF PRODUCTIVITY and POLLINATION

of the nightshade family

2 6

Z

APPLE

HERO OF HERITAGE and HISTORY

of the rose family

3 0

Z

KALE

HERO OF VITAMINS and VITALITY

of the cabbage family

3 4

Z

CARROT

HERO OF COLOR and CUISINE

of the umbellifer family

3 8

Z

ALOE VERA

HERO OF RESOURCEFULNESS and RESILIENCE

of other succulent s

4 2

Z

TEA PLANT

HERO OF HEATH and HOSPITALITY

of the tea family

4 6

Z

MAPLE

HERO OF PATIENCE and POWER

of the soapberry family

5 0

Z

BAMBOO

HERO OF PRACTICALITY and PROVISION

of the grasses family

5 4

Z

PUMPKIN

HERO OF PROTECTION and COMPANIONSHIP

of the gourd family

5 8

Z

ORCHID

HERO OF ARTISTRY and ARTFULNESS

of the orchid family
There are many reasons why

mint is the world's most

popular herb.

Whether you are

having trouble

sleeping,

are feeling

anxious

or stressed,

or have a stomachache,

many believe that mint may

be able to help.

the HERO OF AROMA

and REMEDY

MINT
Mint is a perennial

herb, meaning it comes

back year after year.

It grows side

shoots called

rhizomes .

ESSENTIAL OIL

Mint is often used

as an essential oil.

PEPPERMINT

mentha piperita

As you might expect from our hero of remedy, mint is a particularly

robust, hardy plant. It thrives with little attention needed,

spreading its scent of minty aroma all over a garden or room.

Rhizomes

can spread

several

feet.

GOOD TASTE

Two common kinds of

mint are spearmint and

peppermint. As our heroes

of aroma and remedy, both

peppermint and spearmint

are often used to flavor

medicines that taste bad.

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3

Left unchecked, vigorous mint

can take over the garden!

You can

smell and

eat the

leaves.

r

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Its leaves grow

opposite

each other.

l

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s

Some

people

believe it

helps relieve

muscle pain.

MINT

MINT

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MEET THE FAMILY

SCENTED LEAVES

This family is pretty easy

to recognize because almost

all of its members have

scented leaves. If you feel

the stems carefully, they

are square-shaped with

four distinct sides.

ROSEMARY

Its needlelike leaves add great

flavor to roast potatoes.

SAGE

Has a musky aroma,

used in sausages.

LAVENDER

Has a glorious

scent used

in soaps and

perfumes.

SALVIA

A genus popular

for its pretty

flowers and

scented leaves.

BASIL

A popular aromatic

herb, especially important

in Italian food .

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4

MINT

MINT

Mint belongs to the LAMIACEAE - or mint - family,

which includes herbs such as basil, rosemary, and sage,

and flowers such as lavender and salvias.

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The

ancient

Greeks

rubbed mint

leaves on

their arms to

smell nice.

GROW YOUR OWN MINT

w

A POTTED

HISTORY

OF MINT

Mint grows all over

the world and was

especially important in

ancient European

and

Arabic

cultures.

Mint takes its name from

Minthe

, a nymph in Greek

mythology who was transformed

into a plant by an angry goddess.

In North Africa and

the Middle East, guests

have been traditionally

welcomed with

fresh

mint tea

for centuries.

5

By

boiling water

you make it

safe to drink, and pairing it with

mint makes it tasty and healthy, too.

MINT

MINT

The easiest way to grow mint is to pot a young

plant in multipurpose peat-free compost and make

sure it gets enough sun and stays moist while it

grows. That's it!

Another way to grow mint is by taking cuttings.

Cut a healthy 4-inch-long stem, remove the lower

leaves, and then put it in a jar of water. New roots

should appear at the base of its stem-giving you a

brand new plant to pot in compost and enjoy!

As the plant grows and makes new leaves, you can

pinch the very top off the plant and use it. This will

encourage the plant to grow new leaves, making a

bushier plant with lots of young leaves.

Mint is easy to

grow! If you know

someone already

growing mint, ask if

they can dig a bit

up for you.

The

Romans

used mint to

scent bathwater,

and to flavor

their food.
Most are chosen for their tasty leaves,

but some have stems that can be

eaten, too.

the HERO OF

VARIETY and

VERSATILITY

LETTUCE

There is a huge

variety of lettuces

that you can grow.