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 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).