Those who like to work outdoors and get their hands dirty, plant seeds and watch them grow, will enjoy using these four activity guides. With a renewed interest in home gardening, sparked by Michelle Obama's efforts to cultivate a garden at the White House, gardening is a sure way to grow your own local food. The Helper's Guide contains additional background information, easy-to-use reference tables, group activities and solutions to the questions in the youth manuals. You will learn how to plan a garden, harvest crops, grow plants from roots, make a rain gauge and roast pumpkin seeds. You will also learn to use transplants in your garden, start seeds indoors, grow new plants from plant parts, make a worm box and make a compost pile. Test and improve your soil, cross-pollinate flowers, explore photosynthesis and the effects of pollution on plants and plant genetics are more activities you will do to learn about plants.