How Will Our Garden Grow?

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As part of our Real School Garden grant, all students are invited to design how they would like our existing garden to be expanded. What a thrill it was to have a former student return to our school to share expertise and knowledge with our students!  Monica Solimani is a recent graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science with certifications in Native Plant Gardening and Landscape Design. She is the founder and director of Rose's Secret Garden and designs and installs residential edible gardens. During her presentation, Monica introduced the many careers involved in gardening.

She spoke to our 2nd-5th grade students and gave them information about different types and shapes of plant beds and the different types of containers that can be used around the garden.

Monica challenged the students with goals to remember when designing their garden.

Students took home that information, along with a map of our existing garden and were given the opportunity to design what they would like our garden to look like.

After Monica's presentation, students were excited to go home and start designing. All designs were shared in homeroom classes. Each class selected the design they liked the best. Each homeroom selection was shared schoolwide, and students voted for the map with the most interesting design.

             Students reviewing homeroom selections and voting.

The students that designed the top 4 maps with the most votes were invited to share their ideas at the Real School Garden Design and Dine held on Tuesday, November 5th from 3:30-6:00. 

The students received a certificate from Real School Gardens for their design ideas.

At that time, the entire staff, parents and volunteers  also contributed ideas for our garden. Real School Garden representatives took our ideas to develop a final map for our garden. A meeting will be held to review the final plans before the installation on May 3,2014. We are eager to have our garden enlarged and extended.