There is a corner of Ben's classroom that is an 'activity centre'. It has been a 'cafeteria', a 'garage', a 'building site' and more recently a 'garden centre'. All the children were invited in hands-on planting of seeds and in particular they all had their own plastic pot containing compost into which they each planted a sunflower seed. As the days passed, various 'sightings' were generally reported ….. the first shoot, the first leaf, how high had it grown etc., but for one little chap, the passing days brought no sign of life from his pot.

The day came when each child was allowed to proudly take his or her pot home and show their family their 'achievement' remarking on it's height, it's strength, it's general appearance etc. Ben was first out of school on that day, whether it was coincidence I don't know, but as you may have guessed, his was the pot with compost and the label, but no plant.

Yes, he was disappointed and you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. However, his pot was duly placed on the windowsill at home to see if by some miracle a sunflower might belatedly appear.

At the same time this gardening activity was taking place at school a parallel activity was occurring at home albeit without the assistance of children.

We have in our garden an area that has (for many years ……. yes ok, Julie) been allocated for a pond. Meanwhile this 'site' tends to be occupied by garden rubbish. Adjacent to this pond site (which Ben calls 'the dump') is an area within which we feed the wild birds, generally with sunflower seeds.

In the course of feeding, one bird must have carried a sunflower seed across the 'dump' (site of pond) and inadvertently dropped the seed. Unlike Ben's sunflower seed, this particular seed flourished and stood at least 6" high on the day in question.

However, (yes 'and after many years') the 'dump' is finally to become a pond as of the end of July and all vegetation in that area will need to be removed.

The solution was obvious.

That evening, I took Ben's flowerpot off the windowsill, emptied the contents ….. no sign of any sunflower seed ……. dug up the sunflower plant from the 'dump' and placed it in Ben's pot, together with his label and put it back on the windowsill.

It was Jack and the Beanstalk brought to life the next morning when Ben discovered his magnificent sunflower plant and the smile was duly put back on his face.

You might say "from Bill …. to Ben …. in the flowerpot …. man".

M D