WORDS / KODY FORD

Gardening is second nature for Jane Bosko, and she wants to spread her knowledge and passion for growing food to her family and others. A mother of three, she has worked on her new book ABC Come Garden with Me, writing between homeschooling her children for over a year. Bosko found inspiration from her oldest daughter when writing the book.

“Gardening has been in my life for as long as I can remember,” Bosko said. “I knew, as soon as I was pregnant with my first, that I wanted her to be in the garden with me. She would help me sift soil, dig holes in the garden, pick the veggies, water the plants with her watering can and even pull weeds. Some days I would catch her eating all the strawberries out of our little patch that we had.”

Bosko was raised on a small hobby farm in rural Minnesota, where her grandfather sparked her love of gardening. Every spring, she would join him in sowing sunflower seeds. In the summer, they would pick cucumbers for her grandmother’s famous cucumber salad. Now she imparts these lessons to her children. 

“Since spring is around the corner, we currently have some seedlings started,” she said. “We go through our seed collection, pick out our favorites; then we have a little sowing session. We water and wait. The kids like to check on them daily to see the progression. I love watching my children’s faces light up as they see each seedling emerge. There is something very special about sowing a seed, watching it grow, and, in a couple months, harvesting your own food. It can be a lot easier than what some may think.”

ABC Come Garden with Me is an eye-catching introduction to the magic of mother nature for young children. Illustrated by Bethany Klein, the book features visual activities such as a scavenger hunt for various bugs in the images. The story follows the young narrator, Astrid, as she identifies and plants multiple vegetables and herbs, everything from chamomile to kale to quinoa. It’s colorful and educational — an excellent read for a young child. 

Bosko plans to write more children’s books, some on growing and cooking your food and some based on bedtime stories she’s told her children.

ABC Come Garden with Me can be purchased on Amazon. Follow Bosko on Instagram at @jane_bosko + Klein at @bayartt.

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