Perth Public School

School Children Visiting the Perth Dupont Community Garden.

In accordance with developing our leadership skills, the Perth Dupont Community garden has extended it's invitation of special social gatherings to include the local schools.

We have invited the nearby schools, and encouraged their involvement in the garden. With the success of the children's visit last April, from the St. Luigi Catholic School, we decided that we could provide some space for the children to experience gardening first hand. With the start of our new garden beds, The Raspberry Patch on the north, and the Herb Garden on the south, we felt we could accommodate a class or two.

To make this happen though, much preparation work had to be done, the Coordinator, Susan Berman, had to organize volunteers and to delegate the work. Tony trimmed the trees that were shading the north side of the garden area, and the Patel's worked in the front flower bed, weeding and cutting the grass around that area of the beds. Several gardeners also had to help Susan weed the herb garden in the south border. This garden area is over 60' long and took a few days, Gay and Alison were instrumental in completing this. This is the area where we wanted the children to plant the lettuce, and it was important for the soil to be well prepared.

Tools that were small enough for the children to handle were purchased. We were able to install the new hose hangers on to our posts, to hold our watering hoses. This aided us in leading the group of children and making it easier for them to access the water. The last thing to be done before the children’s arrival was to set out the work kits for the planting. We had 10 plastic recycled buckets, and put a trowel or two, and a hand hoe, or a hand rake, into it. As well, we set out a watering can for each of these work kits. Then we distributed them, five across the herb garden and five across the front flower bed. We also decided that there should be a hand washing station, for when they had finished planting. We didn't what to send the children back to school with muddy hands, or wet clothes from trying to wash their hands underneath the running hose water. We had a table with a large basin, and filled it with water (so it would warm up a bit), and some small sponges to scrub their hands and nails with.

Extra help from those familiar with the garden, was needed to guide the children, and assist them with the tour and the planting. Andrea and her daughter, Samantha, stepped forward, as well as Alison and Mrs. Patel. Tony was behind the scenes keeping an eye on little things that were needed.

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Forty children, grades one and two, from the Perth Public School, together with the two teachers and some of the parents, came with their enthusiasm! They brought along a tray of baby lettuce, and squash and pumpkin plants that some of the children had grown in their class. Some of the parents also donated some flowers to plant.

When the children arrived at the garden, we had them sit on a tarp in the park area. After a quick introduction to the garden, and an explanation of garden etiquette, (don't walk on the soil where the plants and seeds go), we began our tour. The children had the chance to identify what was growing with a list of plants that supported their finds and a check list that their teachers provided them with. After the children had a good look around, we grouped together again and talked about what they discovered.

Before delving into planting and watering, direction was given to divide the children into small groups and they were given a quick explanation of how to plant their things. We got a gardener or parent, or teacher to work with each of groups of kids centered around the buckets of tools. There were enough plants for all the children to have a chance to plant one or two things, and they took turns watering.

The lettuce was successfully planted in the Herb garden, the little squash and pumpkin plants were put with the raspberries, and the donated flowers were distributed across the front flower bed. The parents helped the children to plant them as well.

As the children finished planting they were guided to the wash basin where they could rinse their hands. By that time everyone’s appetite had grown, and it was a good opportunity to share the snack of apples, that one of the parents brought, and have a short discussion of the experience. The children were very eager to participate and brought much joyful energy and interest. We look forward to their return when they come to pick some of the lettuce for a class salad.

Original Story by Alison Urquhart

Details and pictures added by Susan Berman