club

My daughters’ school started a little garden club a couple years back.  They built several raised boxes last year and this afternoon we spent some time planting tomato and pumpkin plants that students grew from seed in their classrooms.  We will “sponsor” a box or two to care for over the summer and watch the plants grow.  While we’d still like to have a garden at home, our garden box at the school will be a fun project for our family over the summer.

I was a little sad to see how few kiddos actually showed up to participate this afternoon.  Perhaps starting the garden should be part of the school day itself?  A school garden can be used in many parts of the curriculum. There are so many benefits for kids who spend time gardening.  Growing your own food encourages healthier eating; it’s so much more exciting to eat a vegetable grown from a tiny seed into part of your dinner!  Gardening has been proven to reduce stress and improve mood.  The learning experiences in a garden are endless!

I’d love to see everyone consider doing a little gardening with their family this summer.  If you can’t swing a full-blown garden plot, consider planting a little container garden or even a few plants on a sunny windowsill. Or, consider joining a community garden — there’s several around the Denver metro area. While you’re at it, enjoy a few garden-related learning activities as part of your summer fun!