Episode 1: Make a flower meadow

The sun beat down on the empty lawn, which was so hard and barren that even an earthworm would have given up on it immediately. Maya fluttered over the desolate landscape and sighed. "Mojo, this is worse than a honey pot without honey. No nectar, no flowers, not even a shred of life."

Mojo sat down on a tiny yellow tuft of grass that almost collapsed under his weight. "I'm telling you, Maya, that's not even a lawn. That's a green tablecloth for people who have no idea how a garden works."

"But why do people do this?" asked Maya as she circled the area. "It's not even good for the soil."

"Because it looks neat," Mojo explained dryly. "And they think it's easy to maintain. What it really is is an ecological desert."

A new idea

Suddenly a group of children appeared - with shovels, rakes and a large, washable piece of limestone paper. Maya hummed excitedly. "Mojo, look! Maybe something exciting is finally happening here."

"Hmm," Mojo muttered. "Or they brought new lawnmowers."

The children gathered in a circle and the teacher said, "Today we begin our school garden project. First, we will observe this area and think about how we can transform it into a living garden."

“Observe!” Maya exclaimed enthusiastically. “This is the first step in permaculture!”

"Yes, yes," grumbled Mojo. "Smart bees and smart people know that nature will show you everything if you just look closely."

Observe and Plan

The children began to examine the area. Some knelt down, feeling the soil and letting it trickle through their fingers. "The ground here is quite hard," said one boy. "And it looks very dry."

"The sun shines here all day," cried a girl. "But there is some shade over there."

"And look here," said another child. "There are places where the rainwater seeps away. Maybe we can use that."

The teacher encouraged them: "Write down your observations and add them to our sketches. Think about the sun, the soil, the water - everything is important."

Maya and Mojo hovered over the children and looked at the drawings they were making. "You're doing it exactly right," Maya said proudly. "Observe first, then plan. That's the key to permaculture."

"Well," grumbled Mojo. "If they keep this up, they might even impress me."

The Transformation of the Flower Meadow

After the sketches were finished, the children decided to start with a wildflower meadow. The teacher explained: "Wildflowers grow best in nutrient-poor soil. We loosen the soil, remove the grass, and then we sow the seeds."

The children worked with shovels and rakes to remove the top layer of turf. Some of them brought small stones and twigs to stabilize the edge of the area. Others spread a mixture of wildflower seeds: cornflowers, chamomile, marigolds and yarrow.

"Look at this, Mojo!" Maya exclaimed. "The wildflowers are perfect for pollinators like us. And they require very little maintenance."

"Well, I guess it's better than grass just waiting to be cut," Mojo admitted. "Besides, people will be excited when they see the first flowers. Beauty is their thing, after all."

The children covered the seeds with a light layer of soil and carefully watered them with rainwater collected from a rain barrel.

The Beginning of a Garden

By evening, the area had been transformed. The barren lawn had disappeared and the children stood proudly in front of their work. "It will take time for the flowers to bloom," said the teacher, "but this is the first step towards a living garden."

Maya and Mojo buzzed around the area and hummed contentedly. "This will be a paradise for us bees," said Maya. "And for so many other creatures."

"Yes," Mojo agreed. "It's amazing what a little knowledge and a lot of drive can do. Maybe this will work out after all."

The two bees flew into the dusk, ready to accompany the next step in the permaculture school garden – and of course to give their comments.

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