Join Mary Frances, a young girl in the early 20th century, as she learns how to plan, plant, and care for a flower and vegetable garden with help from her family, friends, and the Garden People. You will meet Feather Flop, Mr. Hop Toad, Good Mrs. Bee, Little Ladybird, Beauty Butterfly, Mr. Cut Worm, the Wicked Rose Bugs, and the Plant Families, and you will take a magical trip to Fairy Flower land with the Flower Fairies---Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Bouncing Bet. This enchanting book will delight readers of all ages with its endearing story, lovely illustrations, and comprehensive instruction that introduces children to the world of gardening in a way that is easy to understand. Using a powerful "play-lesson" format, The Mary Frances Garden Book 100th Anniversary Edition teaches how to test and amend soil, how to make compost, the proper way to water plants, the parts of a flower, the origin and history of roses, the benefits of birds and bees, plus the good and bad of insects. When Mary Frances decides to have a garden party, instruction is provided in planning ahead to entertain a group, develop a meal plan, and coordinate time-sensitive tasks. Further instruction includes plans for a tiny herb garden complete with tips for the use of herbs in cooking. Sowed throughout the story are lessons in thrift, courtesy, sharing, work ethic, patience, persistence, and appreciation of the food we eat. In helping to make things grow, Mary Frances and her friends share the pleasures of the land, finding joy, appreciation and understanding of nature's wonders in their garden adventures. A gentle spirit of comradeship between boys and girls permeates the pages of this unique garden book. Childhood is the ideal time to introduce gardening as children are natural gardeners: they are inherently curious, they blossom when learning by experience, and they love to play in the dirt. By working in a garden, children can observe the cycle of life, and gain the satisfaction that comes from caring for something over time. Youth gardens provide a way to encourage children to make smart nutritional choices, form better lifelong eating habits, and develop a love of nature. Gardens build self-esteem in a way that is fun, but also contributes to the family's well-being. The Mary Frances Garden Book 100th Anniversary Edition has been restored, updated, and expanded for the 21st century to include a new introduction, larger format, fresh typesetting, enhanced graphics and a bonus patte