October 29, 2010

By: Kim R. from Philadelphia, PA
Comments: 34

Posted By: Kim Rakosky
On: 5/6/2007 5:36:39 PM

I was planting today, mostly containers for 2 reasons: bad back and ability to move my flowers around and rearrange the views from my house on days when it's too darn hot to sit outside! It got me thinking about garden design and I went online and found this great website: https://www.kidsgardening.com/ It's got tons of ideas, information, and links to gardening grants for schools. Check it out and, take it from the container queen, you don't necessarily need greenspace to grow.

Posted By: Marianne Aalbue
On: 5/8/2007 10:06:33 PM

Kim this site is great. Designing and creating a garden is a wonderful opportunity for students. A couple of years ago our school received a large grant to redesign our schoolyard and playground. Several organizations in our community were involved. Many of our students got to work with architects, landscape designers, representatives from companies that design and manufacture playground equipment, etc. This was great exposure to many different careers in the arts. Obviously this was a huge project. Your posting inspired me to think small. I am now thinking about individual classes designing small container gardens. Thanks for the inspiration.

Posted By: Jenifer Weiss
On: 5/12/2007 12:59:08 PM

Marianne: My school is moving to a new green building on undeveloped land. We are starting from scratch and would like to plant a number of different gardens - tended to by the different grade levels - vegetables, flowers, butterfly, rain garden etc.. I noticed you said yo received a large grant -- Could you share that grant information with us? Thanks

Posted By: Nancy Katz
On: 5/15/2007 9:21:39 AM

I went to a willow workshop yesterday given by Bonnie Gale. IF you check out live willow sculpture on the internet you will see sites that could give you ideas for wonderful garden projects that take in art, architecture, science and math. The structures- sculptures that are made from just putting a twig of willow in the ground are beautiful and so of possibilities.Has anyone done any work with these materials and plants?

Posted By: Barbara Nikoomanesh
On: 5/15/2007 12:21:00 PM

I have to admit, I am rather fascinated with the willow sculptures. We have not worked with willow, but we do an environmental Art assignment with our students, where they read about and research Andy Goldsworthy and his environmental Art. They create works of their own, from natural materials, in their natural setting. They then record their work with a digital camera. It has become one of my favorite projects. I do not have examples of this up on our web page yet, but I will try to get them on in the next couple weeks.

Posted By: Nancy Katz
On: 5/15/2007 3:02:49 PM

I would love to see the environmental art works your students have done. At the workshop yesterday, hosted by the art department, there were a number of science teachers- chemistry, earth science and environmental science. What a great connnection of science, art and design. I was happy to talk to the earth science teacher because just the day before my husband and I were hiking at Salt Spring state park. In the woods there were these unusual rock formations that looked like stacks of rectangular rocks piled on top of one another in a very rectangular form, though some of them looked as though they had shifted. At first they looked like a collapsed hut ot built structure. Then we realized they were in fact rocks. On some of them people had placed pennies in between the layers. The pennies were bent, tarnished and not very recognizable as pennies. The teacher had not been there but was going to check it out. This seemed like an intriguing natural formation that seemed like it could have been an intentional art piece that was then in some way continued on to take shape as an art piece.

Posted By: Marianne Aalbue
On: 5/19/2007 1:23:45 PM

Jennifer; I just checked in and read your 5/12 entry. I will research my school's grant information and get back to you this week.

Posted By: Lisa Liu
On: 5/20/2007 7:03:55 PM

My students and I have been working on gardening projects. Last year, we made planters to offer to families in the school that wanted to take them home. In coming up with a garden project, I have found one of the biggest limitations to be SUMMER care. Last year, we also attempted to plant in a fenced-in area in the front of the building. The problem was that no one maintained it over the summer. As fourth grade students, the students were too young to come in and help maintain it. This year, my class' gardening project took this limitation in mind. We provided indoor plants to all classrooms that wanted it, and we are helping to care for them. We are also putting flower boxes in the windows in the front of the school. The students came up with the pattern and the number of flower boxes to be placed. What I have marveled most at in working with gardening projects, is how many students have never planted before. They have really enjoyed the hands on experience and I think it has also made them more aware of green spaces (or the lack there of) in their community.

Posted By: Kim Rakosky
On: 5/21/2007 12:30:40 AM

Lisa, talk to the Day Care staff, I'll bet they'd be happy to take care of the plants over the summer.

Posted By: Marianne Aalbue
On: 5/26/2007 6:55:25 AM

Jennifer; Our school received our newly designed playground through The Trust For Public Land's City Spaces Project. "The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come." This site offers lots of information on the health and economic benefits of conservation. This site is also a great resource when planning a unit on conservation. I hope this information is helpful.

Posted By: Cassandra Kapsos-Scouten
On: 5/28/2007 4:40:11 PM

City kids could really use sometype of gardening in their life, because they don't see much nature and most likely is not fimilar with growing plants. When I was getting my Masters from SVA they had a high school program for inner city students. They had to apply it get in but it was free. Most of the projects deal with improving the community. They design a small garden, all they had was a littered filled piece of land. They made blue prints, furniture, and research plants for the environment. It was very a very cool project. The program is called Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), it is done through the School of visual art MAT program. garden design is good way to build a sense of community and leadership in the classroom.

Posted By: Miranda Thompson
On: 5/30/2007 9:15:26 AM

We are starting a container garden today. The donated space where we were going to put our garden is unsuitable due to toxins poured into the soil for many years (former site of a printing press). The students have three weeks to care for the plants, and then we will donate them to a senior center. The students are still working on landscape design for the garden, which will be installed in the fall (large teak containers with benches). It has definately been a hands-on learning experience with design and redesign as problems arose...

Posted By: Miranda Thompson
On: 5/30/2007 9:33:05 AM

Also, if you have access to computers and want the kids to practice design but don't have money for expensive design programs, I found a couple great shareware/freeware programs you can try: Line Form- simple 2d drawing program https://www.freeverse.com/lineform/ Sketch-up - great 3d design from Google; WAY easier to use than Bryce https://www.sketchup.com/

Posted By: sudha singh
On: 6/1/2007 11:08:03 AM

Designing a community garden positively is an expression of your love and care for your community. We are a new school in a very economically depressed neighborhood providing our learners an opportunity to shine and grow to their full potential. We have very active community partnerships. Some of our partners are Microsoft, the Philadelphia Zoo and Museum and many others who are there to provide support whenever needed. We have beeen working on a community garden project to cater to a herb and floweer garden in our immediate neighborhood in association with community leaders. We began this on a small scale by planting cilantro seeds and potting mint leaves in pots until we have access to the real land from our community. We had experienced individuals come and plan this with us and also visited the Chicago online community gardens to see it's impact on the immediate community.The students decided what they wanted to plant in this garden, and made up a list of requirements for creating a successful project. Our concern remains on who will care for the herbal and flower garden during summer. Any suggestions on how to overcome this dilemma? We have been talking to some community people who can help us out and hope it does work. I personally would love to research and implement a willow garden too, sounds interesting and an awesome task to start.

Posted By: Kim Rakosky
On: 6/2/2007 4:36:38 PM

Sudha, ask your counselor for a list of local day camps nearby. They may enjoy having a walking trip to care for your plants. You could also try the Horticulture Society. Now that I think about it, I remember that admission to your school included a certain number of spots for students from the neighborhood. Can you enlist their volunteer help? (along with the students who began this project. Maybe your principal can provide some sort of incentive..., even if it's just Septa tokens to travel back and forth. ) Good luck.

Posted By: sudha singh
On: 6/14/2007 10:20:34 PM

Thank you Kim for the suggestions. I ahve volunters from the neighborhood and a gardener who will bring twent students to take care of the plants during summer break . I was supposed to meet him today ,but he did not show up on time. Hope to see him some time before school ends. Thanks for the suggestions. Fairmount PArk Horticulture provided the planmts and mulch.

Posted By: Catherine Perry
On: 6/19/2007 2:36:39 PM

I love the idea of containers, and it reminded me that terrariums work so wonderfully because once they're thriving, they require such minimal care. Moving them with a bad back is an issue, though! Our school moved to the basement of the school building this year, although my principal cleverly renamed it the 'garden level' because of potential garden space outside. We're still waiting for the scaffolding and construction materials to be moved so we can start our garden. I hadn't thought about containers, but I find it really appealing. I also love the idea of willow sculptures. I'd actually been planning on weeding some of the wild vines inside to make baskets and woven objects with them. And, of course, in my mind no garden is complete without doing some sort of homage to Andy Goldsworthy! His works hold so much fascination for our kids, I love seeing their reactions when I describe how he makes them!

Posted By: Susan Miller
On: 6/19/2007 5:22:12 PM

I have often thought of integrating the use of vines, willows, and materials gathered at Wave Hill, or other NYC parks for a lesson with my 2nd graders in art during the time when they are studying Native Americans, so thinking about looking at Andy Goldsworthy with them and using willow is great. Thanks, Nancy and everyone else contributing to this discussion. Also, it's great to read through this, as I would love to do a garden design project with my 4th grade, and because we do not have an area for a garden, thought that what I would do would be more of a fantasy design, where students would learn to translate their ideas using graph paper, and think of the garden (type of plants, colors, height, etc) as well as the furniture and pathways and play areas. But I've struggled with this because actually working with nature is so important for them. The idea of containers is interesting, and so I am now thinking about a small area on the roof of our building.

Posted By: kathy murphy
On: 6/21/2007 2:53:51 PM

Last year we put in a peace pole and planted a garden around it. Every classroom made one mosaic stepping stone to go around the Peace Pole. There is a bench that students can just sit and relax and enjoy the area. It's a beautiful thing!

Posted By: Dorothy Ahoklui
On: 6/22/2007 12:15:20 AM

Thank you for this site. My school has an enclosed outdoor space that is lacking and in dire need of a garden,so, now we can finally try to give it a makeover.

Posted By: Catherine Perry
On: 6/22/2007 7:49:21 PM

What a great idea, a peace pole! There's a small column with the word "peace" in about 15 or so different languages that I walk past at least once a week, and never once thought to do that with my kids! Perfect for Earth Day next year! Thanks!

Posted By: Leslie Lami-Reed
On: 6/23/2007 7:42:48 AM

Last year, I wrote a local grant and we added a Peace Garden to our school in Kalamazoo, MI. The focal point of the circle garden is a Peace Pole in four languages...May Peace Prevail on Earth. I suggest you get your peace pole from the official site, they have thousands of Peace Poles all over the world! www.peacepoles.com In addition, I adopted and taught a simple curriculum called "Peace Pals" and I became a coordinator for our school (grades K-6). Peace Pals will send you simple curriculum information and contacts who are peace pals members around the world. www.worldpeace.org/peacepalsco.html Leslie

Posted By: Susan Miller
On: 7/12/2007 2:00:29 PM

Wow! Such great ideas, I love coming back to this discussion.

Posted By: mel ruth
On: 4/30/2008 2:11:45 PM

Due to the nature of our school we have a huge roof top that we are thinking about putting a rooftop garden on. The student did some preliminary sketches but things are going slow. Great ideas in this conversation strand. if any of you have direct experience of rooftop school gardens let me know.

Posted By: Frances Brown
On: 7/24/2008 4:46:31 PM

Not only can the students design the layout of their rooftop school garden, they can make drawings of the outcomes they predict will come from planting seeds. This might clear up some misconceptions students may have when they see the actual product from the seed - no carrots growing straight up out of the ground. Even mixing soils and fertilizers becomes a lesson in measuring and counting.

Posted By: Joanne Toft
On: 2/23/2009 8:19:59 PM

I would love to have more information on what it takes to get a roof top garden going. Can some one direct me to a good web site that could give me details? also what is required safety wise for students on the roof. thanks

Posted By: Vincent Goeddeke
On: 2/23/2009 8:37:00 PM

I just stumbled across a lesson put out by Cooper Hewitt in the lesson plan section for Middle School area entitled "Looking Upwards: Greenroofing & Rooftop Gardening." It had some resources listed and it seemed like it might be helpful on some level.

Posted By: Joanne Toft
On: 2/23/2009 9:00:11 PM

Thanks I did look at that but the web links are now dead. I did a quick google search and got lots of gardening ideas for schools but not much about gardening on a roof but I will keep looking and see what I can find. thanks

Posted By: Susie Jessop
On: 2/23/2009 9:27:25 PM

Keep your search focused on "urban" rooftop gardening and you'll find a much broader list of ideas. In my original hometown of Los Angeles rooftop gardening is a rapidly expanding trend taking shape in micro and massive forms. While checking in on my local paper, I recently read an article about planting in ways that can be tied into the school cafeteria's menu. Tough for us in the great white north of Minnesota, but a fantastic hands-on idea.