Podcast Summary: The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: "1KHO 625: Childhood Grows Best in a Garden | Sharon Lovejoy, Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots"

Host: Jenny Yarridge
Guest: Sharon Lovejoy
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Jenny Yarridge welcomes beloved garden author and illustrator Sharon Lovejoy for her third appearance on the show. Together, they explore the powerful, lifelong impact that gardens and nature can have on childhood—and why it’s never too early or too late to start gardening. With practical tips, touching personal stories, and an exploration of Sharon's influential books (such as "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots"), the episode underscores how nature time can transform families across generations. Listeners will come away motivated to create garden memories, big or small, with the children in their lives.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Timelessness and Universality of Gardens

• Gardening for All Ages:
  • Gardening knows no age limit. Letters to Sharon have come from three-year-olds and even a ninety-six-year-old starting her first sunflower house ([02:39]).
  • Sharon: "If it’s indeed true what you say, that you’re never too old to be a child at heart, this will be my best year ever." ([02:39])
• Generational Influence:
  • Sharon shares how her grandmother’s daily garden walks instilled lifelong wonder and knowledge in her, rippling through to her son and grandchildren ([07:13], [12:33]).
  • Creating memories in nature can transcend generations.

2. The Power of Starting Small and Dreaming

• Encouraging New Gardeners:
  • The winter months are for dreaming and planning, which is just as valuable as planting ([01:47]).
  • Sharon’s books provide accessible entry points, suggesting easy and enchanting projects like egg carton seedlings and “garbage gardens” ([15:39]).
  • Jenny: "These books, they entice you to become a part... It has added so much to our life." ([04:00])
• It’s Never Too Late:
  • The theme that there is always enough time—with five minutes a day, families can sow “miracles and mysteries” in their lives ([14:01], [10:47]).

3. The Garden as Sanctuary, Teacher, and Playground

• Nature’s Toys Over Store-Bought Items:
  • Sharon discusses the limitless natural toys and crafts: acorn boats, trumpet vine dolls, walnut sailboats, leaf people, and more ([24:25]).
  • Sharon: "There are limitless possibilities. And they’re all free. They’re all free." ([24:56])
• Difference Across Generations:
  • Sharon notes how outdoor children's activities have changed; kids now interact less with neighborhood nature, and play is often more solitary ([20:03]).
  • The importance of keeping nature at the center of childhood: "It's part of the fabric of who we are. We're humans, but we're also... part of this earth." ([20:03])

4. Wonder, Curiosity, and the Little Miracles

• Focusing on Tiny Things:
  • Both host and guest reminisce about discovering the miracles in small details: poppies closing at night, tiny insects, the color and hidden patterns in seeds and bulbs ([09:29], [45:28]).
  • Sharon: "Write down one little miracle that you see and learn about it." ([10:47])
• Tools for Discovery:
  • Magnifying glasses and jeweler’s loupes are encouraged to get closer looks at nature’s wonders ([07:13]).

5. Practical Wisdom: What to Grow with Kids

• Starting Points for Success:
  • Sharon shares her "Top 20" easy-to-grow plant list (featured in Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots), prioritizing fun, fast-growing, and colorful selections ([41:00]).
  • Listener favorites include zinnias, sunflowers (including pollen-rich varieties), lamb’s ear, ground cherries, “moon and stars” watermelon, apple cucumbers, and strawberry popcorn ([40:03], [44:20]).
  • The magic of growing both edible and sensory-rich plants: calendulas, fruit trees, bulbs, and “toys” like birdhouse gourds ([51:05], [45:00]).

6. Mirrored Lessons Between Seeds and Childhood

• The lifecycle of a garden seed becomes a poetic metaphor for generational love, learning, and hope.
• Jenny: "It's really parallel to the seed... you plant these seeds in your children's life... and you never know how far they're going to sprawl out the vines." ([58:02])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Age and the Power of Beginnings:
  • "Even starting at age three is too late for children… I started taking [my son] out when he was just a few days old." – Sharon Lovejoy ([02:39])
• On the Ripple Effects of Nature Connection:
  • "It is like throwing a giant rock into a still pond. You just get those ripples, ripples, ripples all the way out to the cattails." – Sharon ([12:33])
• On Small Wonders:
  • "Every little thing that you watch... that can turn into a book for a child that turns into volumes and volumes of joy." – Sharon ([10:47])
• On the Limitless Nature of Outdoor Play:
  • "The garden provides all this massive variety of things for kids to play with. And they are in abundance. You don't have to be worried that they're going to ruin it—another one's going to grow." – Jenny ([23:38])
• On Every Season Bringing Opportunity:
  • "Whenever you're listening to this episode, there's so much that you can do. It might be a time of dreaming, or it might be a time of getting your seeds together. Might be a time of harvesting." – Jenny ([30:34])
• On the Now and Tradition:
  • "We all need childhood." – Sharon ([34:26])
• The Magic and Miracle of Growth:
  • "From one seed came all these colors. And she mulled over it for a really long time… how are there all these colors out here?" – Jenny ([32:29])
• On Passing Down Experiences:
  • "Each seed is a promise. Some people call seeds treasure boxes because they hold the treasure of life, food, health, and beauty. We see seeds every day without really seeing them at all." – Sharon reading from her book ([45:28])

Practical Takeaways & Tips

Starting Your Own Family's Nature Legacy

• Anyone, any age, can begin a journey in the garden. There is wisdom in starting small—egg carton seedlings, windowsill "garbage gardens," or growing easy favorites like zinnias and sunflowers ([15:39], [41:00]).
• Keep the spirit alive throughout seasons: plan and dream during winter, plant and play during spring and summer, and harvest and reflect in autumn ([01:47], [30:34]).
• Collect and use natural materials for year-round crafts and exploration, and encourage curiosity with simple tools like magnifying glasses ([24:25], [07:13]).
• Make garden memories stick by photographing and recording children’s discoveries and voices ([33:04]).
• Look for plant varieties that provide sensory experience—something to smell, touch, taste, and wonder at ([45:00], [54:09]).
• Gift seeds, garden books, and experiences to others—these are the gifts that create ripples across generations ([56:41]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:41 — Sharon’s return, book introductions, impact stories
• 02:39 — Gardening is ageless & generational letters
• 07:13 — Grandmother's influence; focusing on tiny wonders
• 14:01 — The five-minute miracle & starting small
• 20:03 — Changing childhoods, need for outdoor play
• 24:25 — Nature’s toys and crafts from the garden
• 30:34 — Seasonal opportunities—dreaming, planning, harvesting
• 40:03 — Best plants to start with for children
• 45:28 — Seeds as “treasure boxes”, exploring bulbs
• 51:05 — Sensory-rich plants; lamb’s ear as a healing and playful favorite
• 54:09 — Lemon verbena, playful plant personalities
• 58:02 — The metaphor of seeds and intergenerational impact

Tone & Message

The episode carries Sharon Lovejoy’s signature warmth, gentle wisdom, and wonder at small miracles. Jenny Yarridge’s enthusiasm and testimony as a garden-inspired parent provide a welcoming and motivational tone. Both speakers reinforce that nature is accessible, healing, and waiting for everyone—regardless of age or background.

For New Listeners

This episode is an ideal primer for anyone hesitant to start gardening or questioning whether outdoor play is “worth it.” With pragmatic advice, personal encouragement, and poetic storytelling, it provides a roadmap for reclaiming and enriching childhood—one seed, one hour, and one moment at a time.