HANOVER — The summer reading program at the Gardner Roberts Memorial Library has a whole different twist.

Along with reading and doing crafts, the 20 or so youngsters who are taking part have planted and are caring for a community garden.

Each Wednesday an average of six or seven children visit the garden on land owned by Scott and Carol Gould at Howard Pond and Mill Hill roads. It’s just a short walk from the historic library.

“It’s the perfect activity for kids,” said Michele Richardson of Milton Township. “They garden, have a snack, do a craft, then take out a book.”

Her three children, twins Sadie and Brooke, age 9, and Jeremiah, age 11, were among those who worked in the garden Wednesday.

Watering was an important part of the day because of the dry weather, but the young people had also planned the garden, planted it, kept a log of its progress, weeded it and sometimes collected slugs.

Lynn Ramsey, a retired elementary school teacher, heads up the garden portion of the program.

“This is an experiment this year,” she said.

A large portion of the well-kept vegetable garden, rimmed with marigolds and other annuals, is a Native American section.

Here, the “three sisters” of Native American agriculture are planted – beans, corn and pumpkins, all green and healthy and weed-free.

The pole beans are planted around the corn so they have a natural stalk to climb.

There are also mini-pumpkins and gourds, peppers and amaranth, another Native American grain.

Jeremiah likes working in the garden.

“It teaches you how things grow from seeds,” he said.

The food that results from the garden will be given to the youngsters who cared for it. If plenty of gourds, mini-pumpkins and jack-o’-lantern pumpkins are produced, they will be sold at the library’s annual Octoberfest in the fall.

Volunteer librarian Peg Susbury said any funds raised from the pumpkin/gourd sale will be used to operate the library.

Along with the weekly children’s reading program is the first adult reading program with about a dozen people participating, Susbury said.

The summer youth program runs through August and is held at 10 a.m. each Wednesday.

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