Hopewell Flower Farm & Learning How to See Again

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast! 

Here we will discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I will share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

 

ON THIS EPISODE

Have you ever wanted to grow your own flower farm like me? Are your shelves filled with books on roses and gardening? Do the colorful tender blossoms light up your face and heart when you see them? Then take a seat and have a listen as I interview Leslie McCardell of Hopewell Flower Farm.  In our TRUE and GOOD segments of the episode, this lovely lady shares with me her family's adventure into flower farming and how operating this new business helps her children learn valuable life skills and empathy for the hurting around them.

In our last segment of the show, the BEAUTIFUL, I continue my interview with Dr. Fred Putnam of the Templeton Honors College. We talk about "Learning How to See Again." Not sure what that means? Then stick around! You won't want to miss what my professor has to say!

Our Favorite Resources:

• Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers by Georgie Newbery
• The Flower Farmer's Year by Georgie Newbery
• Vintage Roses by Jane Eastoe
• Dahlias by Naomi Slade
• Peonies by Jane Eastoe
• Floret Farm's A Year in Flowers by Erin Benzakein
• The Cottage Garden by Christopher Lloyd and Richard Bird
• Top Free Philadelphia Attractions
• The Delaware Art Museum
• Ursinus College Berman Museum Outdoor Sculpture Collection
• Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper
• How Children Learn by John Holt
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

 

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. - Charlotte Mason

 

Imagine a form of education that does not try to change the child or transform it into an adult but rather provides a place where the child can flourish as a child. - Thomas Moore

 

Man's ability to see is in decline. . . . We mean the spiritual capacity to perceive the visible reality as it truly is. - Josef Pieper, Only the Lover Sings, p. 31

 

There does exist something like "visual noise," which just like the acoustical counterpart, makes clear perception impossible. . . . The restoration of man's inner eyes can hardly be expected in this day and age -- unless, first of all, one were willing and determined simply to exclude from one's realm of life all those inane and contrived but titillating illusions incessantly generated by the entertainment industry. - Josef Pieper, Only the Lover Sings, p. 33

 

My responsibility is to basically not get in their way, do what I think is right, and not cause them to stumble. And if we can do those things, and if we can live ourselves in a way that shows them what it means to live truly, then I don't know what more we can ask for. - Dr. Fred Putnam

 

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

 

APPLICATION

1. Start some Zinnia seeds and tuck them into your landscaping for a pop of color and beautiful blooms. This fall is perfect for putting some spring bulbs to sleep and chill around your porch or mailbox. Don't have a lot of land? Try planting tulips in a window box or pots on the window sill with smaller flowers and herbs.
2. Some life skills to try: photography, marketing, bouquet-making, color theory, entrepreneurial skills, interpreting weather, planning ahead... Some character issues to work on: pushing past discomfort, finding their gifts and strengths, empathy for the hurting...
3. What kind of art or books are you displaying in your home or classroom? How have you designed the interior of your room or school building? What kind of music or sounds are you hearing? How are you spending your private, class, and family time? How are you reinforcing the values you have in your lives?