Today I was invited to San Carlos Park Elementary to see the progress the children made this year on the gardens. I was surprised by the number of excited kids, the great work they had done and the quality of their produce.
The surprise continued with their appreciation for the work we did to make the beds for them to plant in. I got choked up with their ceremony of card giving and sharing the harvest.
I applauded them for their efforts and complimented them at how good everything looked.
We did more than build a garden, we built a fun classroom.
Before. May, 2015. Sand, grass and weeds.
After construction. Thanks to donations from FNGLA Royal Palm Chapter and many volunteer’s labor.
One year after: May 6, 2016.
Students from after school program planted, watered, weeded and harvested tomatoes, peppers, egg plants and many flowers.
Perfect pollinator attractors: Zinnias.
The students made thank you cards and gave me a copper pot full of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and green beans.
Gardening brought out the artist in several students.
Kind, personal sentiments and garden designs…from fourth graders!
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Pavese said the children love coming out and working in the gardens, and learning too.
Inside their cards the children wrote; “Thank you for your hard work…Thank you for making our school garden. It looks really pretty when I go by the garden…we really appreciate it…We all love our garden its beautiful…”
Cardboard Palm 