Seedlings in a garden?

Authors

• Minna Saarela Helsingin yliopisto
• Sara Sintonen Turun yliopisto
• Alexandra Nordström Helsingin yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.148500

Keywords:

seedling, plant, growth, early childhood education, posthumanism

Abstract

The seedling is linked to Finnish early childhood education and its historical background in several ways. On the one hand, seedling refers to a child, that is, a human seedling, who, when well cared for, grows into a full bloom. On the other hand, seedling also refers to nurseries (kindergarten) as ”childgardens”. Seedling is also related to gardens that were connected to kindergartens, where planting and caring for plants has been practiced with the children. In the same way, there have been gardens in connection with seminars training kindergarten teachers. This article reflects on the relevance of the educational discourse on the plant world in our time, when the way of being that is specific to plants has begun to be understood in a new way. We convey our thoughts through perspectives on the teaching garden: the data was collected by interviewing two gardeners who work in a garden connected to one of Finland's oldest teacher training institutions. The seedling discourse and material are examined in a posthumanist and new materialist spirit emphasizing the mutual relativity of humans and plants, and the whole article is framed by the idea of growth as co-existence.