DATE:     10/3/97
CONTACT:  Dr. Stephen Verkade, (803) 788-5700
WRITER:   Tom Lollis, (803) 284-334

Children's Garden to be Dedicated at Sandhill REC

     COLUMBIA -- The Carolina Children's Garden will be dedicated
Oct. 9 in a 4:30 p.m. ceremony at the Clemson University's
Sandhill Research and Education Center.
     The Children's Garden is actually more than one garden.
     "It's a collection of several small theme gardens, all
dedicated to helping youngsters relate better to plants," said
Stephen Verkade, resident director at the Sandhill REC.
     A dinosaur garden will contain plants that would have been
around during the time that dinosaurs roamed the Earth. An
alphabet garden will display plants from asparagus to zinnias.
     A Peter Rabbit Garden will make Mr. McGregor's garden a
little more real to children, and a Three Bears Garden features a
topiary bear made of limbs, vines and twigs.
     "We'll have an agriculture garden with a real tractor that
kids can climb all over and a hand plow so they can try plowing a
furrow," Verkade said.
     Other gardens will be devoted to topics such as butterflies,
birds and nutrition. Other areas will contain raised beds and
other ideas that parents of handicapped children can try at home.
     "We have lots of fun activities planned for opening our
Children's Garden," Verkade said. "Youngsters will get to dig for
worms, meet Smokey Bear, take a hayride and have a scavenger
hunt." 
    A magician and "Chipper the Chipmunk" will also be on hand,
and refreshments will be served.
     The Sandhill REC is located at Clemson and Two Notch roads
north of Columbia.
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