Now that Jack Frost has gone away for the season, the children at Conshohocken Elementary School (CE) have started preparing and planting the garden plot at the Conshohocken Community Garden.
“I like planting,” said CE third grader Shelby Crisp. “It’s fun.”
A student dumps mulch while others plant seeds and scoop more mulch.
A week after the second graders weeded the plot, the third graders had a chance to walk over to the garden to plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and flowers. They also spread mulch.
“I liked putting mulch in the cage. It’s fun to scoop it up and throw it around,” said CE third grader Alfredo Salce Lezama.
Teacher Amy Campbell helps a student plant one of the tomato seedlings. The children also planted peppers, cucumbers, and flowers.
While they were waiting for their turn taking one of the jobs in the garden plot, the students listened to stories with gardening themes and explored the rest of the garden. The visit also tied into their science unit, where they’re learning about how seeds grow.
Second graders weeded and prepared the plot for the third graders to plant.
“I love seeing kids, who you wouldn’t think like gardening, really enjoy being outside in nature and getting their hands in the dirt,” said teacher Christine Donovan. “You don’t see that side of them in the classroom.”
Each grade at the school has some responsibility for the garden. Kindergartners planted tomato starters in the classroom. Second graders cleaned up the plot, and first graders will visit the garden to water the plants. Over the summer, families volunteer to keep things watered and weeded and to pick vegetables when they’re ripe.
However, lessons about how to take care of plants and how things grow aren’t the only benefits of the visit to the community garden.
“You can get out of the classroom, have some fun, and get some exercise,” said CE third grader Madison Craytor.
The students will taste test the vegetables in the cafeteria, and many of the vegetables grown in the garden will go to the Colonial Neighborhood Council to add to the fresh choices available for families visiting the food bank.
