Why is there a school garden?

Have you noticed our school garden? It is in raised beds in between the school and toddler/infant building. In season it is a growing collection of flowers and vegetables that delight the senses. Even in the winter when it looks dead there are delightful things are happening underground.

There is lots of great research out there on the benefits of school gardens. Check out this compilation for just a few of the key findings. http://gardens.slowfoodusa.org/contents/sdownload/3591/file/Benefits-of-School-Gardens-Denver-Urban-Gardens.pdf

Here at Merritt we are proud of our garden. We’ve grown and eaten squash, herbs, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, garlic and so much more. Kids of all ages have gotten their hands dirty, their minds stretched and their taste buds tantalized.  We started plants from seeds, composted, and watered with rain water collected in rain barrels. We’ve had growing successes and failures and learned from both.

Maybe you would like to try some gardening with your children at home. Here’s a great website with lots of information. https://www.kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics/