I spent a few years at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and they have 
a wonderful
garden -- with many orginal type plants/seeds they raise.   You may want to 
contact them.
I know they have purple potato (or is it potatoe?), a black hollyhock, and a 
few other
rare variety of plants...plus poppies (love those poppy seeds)..

Children would be very interested in seeds, how they germinate---growing the 
seeds, etc.

Garden design is also important -- proper sun, weed control, even adding 
benches,
sundials, stone/wooden pathways, all play a part in Victorian Gardens.  Kids 
could design
their own garden.  Of course, too, there is the Victorian Gardens PBS show 
which may
add insight (if that issue has not been addressed).

I am also into raised gardens  -- and you can use this in V. Gardens --- 
sand, rockwork,
raising your beds up to get more sunlight, better drainage, deeper root 
growth,
less insects, mulching and enviornmental issues can be covered.  And what 
about the
visitors to the garden: frogs, worms, birds, butterfles.   I taught an 
outreach program
recently, and took some real worms to class, soil, sand, rocks and grass and 
told the
student we going to "eat" some soil and worms at the end of the 
presentation...and
the teacher will eat the first worm.  Of course, the soil was pudding, the 
rocks were
jellybeans, the grass was colored coconut, the heavier soil on the bottom 
was crushed
Orio cookies.  The worms---gummy worms.  They loved it -- was a touch 
expensive
but they loved it -- and taste pretty good, especially with a nice fresh 
worm.  Buy
the way did the worm make it into the feast...nah! Returned it back to my 
garden.

Making top soil is another issue you could also teach and show...from yard 
leaves
and such, and watching it decomposed.  How water works in a garden is 
another
issue.  To much or to little.  Saving water from the rain is another issue, 
and some
V. Gardens have barrels to capture the rain.  Key issue with a such a Garden 
though
is design, mixing the right flowers and colors to make your garden pleasing 
to the
eye. So colors can be discussed and shown and what part they played.  V. 
Gardens
also have mazes -- so maybe do a chart of a maze, and students can find 
their way
out...or have a real one (maybe use a corn maze??).  You may also want to 
mention
the clipping of the bushes/trees....into designs.  Plus the walls, lawns, 
ponds and
other features of the propert V. Garden.  Your exhibit, discussion and 
program
has a wide array of interesting topics.  Enjoy!

John Martinson
Boise, ID

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