SEARSPORT, Maine (WABI) – A community garden and storywalk, based on a children’s book, is opening this summer in Searsport—helping to teach kids about the importance of sunflowers.
A retired Waldo County teacher, Patsy Baldus, is the author of the 2024 children’s book Sunny Bear and the Secret of Sunflowers. Starting this summer, a new community garden and storywalk will open on Mt. Ephraim Road in Searsport. Baldus says the idea grew out of her love of education and gardening.
“After I retired from teaching, I found a passion for growing sunflowers, particularly teddy bear sunflowers because they are unusual. They are only about two feet high, and have a great fuzzy texture, and kids love them, and they are easy to grow,” said Baldus.
The garden has many hands-on activities for kids, including an interactive storywalk featuring pages straight out of the book. Parents are encouraged to guide their kids through each page.
“By the time they get to the end of the path, they know what’s going on. There’s a playhouse at the end of the path, and so when they get to the end of the storywalk, they say a chant which is easy to learn, it’s called; ‘Sunny bear, Sunny bear, come out where you are, tell us the secrets of helianthus!’ which is the scientific term for sunflower,” said Baldus.
Baldus says it’s also an opportunity for kids to be educated on the environmental importance of sunflowers.
“They’re aerating soil, they’re also wonderful for pollinators. They learn some vocabulary words, some pretty meaty ones, but it’s in the context of the story, so they get it,” said Baldus.
And it’s not just for kids. Baldus says anyone can plant a teddy bear sunflower seed in the community garden and follow the growing process through the season.
“Anyone can come, old and young, of every age, can come plant their sunflower seed — I’ll take care of them — They can watch the cycle of a sunflower growing, and at the end of the season, they can take their sunflowers home, they can come and cut them. I think it’s the idea that not only can they see them and experience it, but they can get their hands on it and experience something they created in the end,” said Baldus.
Sunny Bear Gardens and StoryWalk will open every Sunday in June from 1:00pm to 5:00p.m. Hours will be extended to Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00am starting in July.
All books’ sales from opening day will be going to local libraries in Waldo County.
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