Now that this year's Earthday celebrations are over, we must not forget that lessening the impact on the environment needs to be practiced more than one day a year.

One way to continue helping the environment is to plant a garden and grow your own vegetables and fruits. I find it is so satisfying to care for my plants and watch them grow. They always taste better than anything I buy at a store.

If you don't have the yard space to grow a garden, you can grow plants in flower pots on a balcony. Even a sunny window sill will produce results.

One of the easiest plants to grow is the green bean. It grows fast and one plant will produce many beans.

YOU WILL NEED:

  • Styrofoam cup or plastic plant pot
  • Dirt
  • Bean seeds
  • Coloured felt pens

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Read the back of the package the seeds come in to see if there are any special instructions.
  2. Colour the Styrofoam cup or plant pot with the felt pens.
  3. Fill it with dirt and place one bean seed in each cup.
  4. Water the soil lightly and place in a sunny window.
  5. When it grows to be several inches tall, transplant it into a garden or a larger flower pot.

Will seeds only grow in soil? Place some bean seeds on a paper towel which has been soaked in water and place it in a sealed plastic sandwich bag. Place in a sunny window. When it starts to grow, transplant it to a pot of soil.

Do seeds need sun to grow? Place a seed into a Styrofoam cup or plant pot and place it in a corner of a room that doesn't get much sun. Keep it watered. Does the seed start to grow? How does it compare to the seed that was planted in soil and placed in a sunny location?

For a "magic" indoor plant, cut the top off a pineapple leaving about an inch or 2.5 cm of the fruit. Put it in water, leaving the leaves exposed to the air. When it starts to get roots, transfer the plant to a pot of dirt and cover with a plastic bag for three weeks.

After waiting patiently for the three weeks to pass, remove the plastic bag and you will discover a pretty cactus-like plant.

[Photographs by Linda Dunbar. Reproduction prohibited]