Rebecca Weersing.Talk about enthusiasm! Enthusiasm ran wild last week as students at Margarita Middle School measured and evaluated a barren area at the school that we all hope will be blooming and growing as a garden by the end of school in mid-June.
This once-a-week, after-school activity is already producing results. Beginning in January students brainstormed what they would like to see in the garden. The next week we planted poppy seeds – that are now sprouting in areas in front of the school. The week following we took a walk around the school, surveying and discussing the existing plants and planting areas. We have measured for the garden that we brainstormed the first week.
There are existing roses on campus so we are going to have pruning demonstrations to small groups while the other students begin to put pencil-to-paper in designing the garden.
The next several months hold many opportunities to be involved in this Youth Gardening project. Hope you might be able to join us for an activity sometime.
How should the youth of our community learn about the joys and challenges of roses? "From us" is the answer for our Society and "from me" is the answer for each of us individually.
There are many ways that we can provide learning opportunities. The best way is to encourage hands-on experiences in gardens. But where do we find the gardens?
We have many gardens to share – Rose Haven, school gardens, public plantings, our personal gardens. But how do we share these gardens?
Let us count the ways to share gardens:The joy on a child's face at the size of a pumpkin, the color of a rose or the bird songs
from the tree can be appreciated and shared by us all. We have each been that child –
that's why we are now members of the Rose Society, the Garden Club or both.
Let's think back to the time before we were adult gardeners – to the time when we were hovered over by a beloved parent, grandparent or neighbor – to the time when there was fun in vigorously ridding the garden of those weeds.
What would our lives be like now without our love of nature and gardening? What would our lives have been like without the person who nurtured that love?
Each of us can make a difference in the lives of our community's children through the youth gardening activities we will be developing during the next year.
Let us count the ways we can be involved:
Thank you for your support of this developing Community Outreach effort. Please
e-mail me
with suggestions and questions related to youth gardening.
REMEMBER to bring old printer cartridges, cell phones and "Box Tops for Education" to our next meeting. These donations will be part of our fund raising for youth gardening activities.
Rebecca Weersing, Community Outreach Chair
In September 2004 Ysabel Barnett Elementary School welcomed our group to their school garden. Barnett is a fairly new school and the garden is still under development. Water, an irrigation system, raised beds, a partially completed fountain, a tool shed, a rose bed sans roses, a selection of shade trees and some picnic tables are all elements currently to be found in the garden. The remnants of last year’s sun flowers, zinnias, gourds and tomatoes speak to the enthusiasm of the students, teachers and staff. After summer vacation, though, an interesting variety of weeds have appeared to provide sustenance for the birds and bugs.
During our visit we developed a garden plan. Weeding and bed preparation will occur from September to December 2004. Roses will be planted in February 2005. Teachers and staff will be choosing the seeds and plants needed for spring planting. Volunteers among parents and the surrounding neighborhood will be recruited. Students – with the help of teachers, parents and community volunteers – will experience many different aspects of gardening.
