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 We used our garden for many educational purposes. Our garden taught us how sunlight is the main source of all energy. We learned for ourselves how plants photosynthesize--taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. The learning experience was imperative to our environmental science/Biology courses. The garden taught us also that plants are living things, requiring a suitable habitat and essential nutrients to live. Plants not only add oxygen to the air, they trap energy for animals to live as they are "producers" in our society. They are not only producers because they provide the energy of life and produce the food we eat, but they also make our school more beautiful. Our garden was not permanent because we specialized in house plants. Once the plants were fully-grown, we delivered them to the main office, math office, roster office, library, and classrooms—essentially throughout the school where parents and community visitors could see them. We wrote a special note for each plant explaining how to care for it—light, water, and soil requirements. If a plant was not doing well we brought the plant back to the Greenhouse for inspection and to find the problem. In many cases, plants were under-watered or over-watered or were placed in incorrect locations for the proper light and temperature. So we re-potted many of the plants, cut back dead roots, and put them under plant grow lights. All of the students were involved with the making of a garden in a cart or in outdoor pots. Before planting the first seed we did an enormous amount of work. First, we had to waterproof all of the tables that we needed to work on. The tables could then be moved from the greenhouse into an indoor greenhouse for tropical plants and indoor plants during the winter months. Second, we fixed all of the plant lights by putting in new bulbs and re-wired the plant light with the aid of the teacher and the head custodian. Third, we fixed and patched up all broken windows with duct tape and plastic bags. Finally, we painted, swept, and cleaned the room in which the plants were to be grown and checked for safety conditions in the area. We wired shut one door that lead to an unopened area where a student could fall and marked off the area. We blocked another door leading to an adjacent classroom. Our work might have interfered with the instruction of other classes and students. Each student had different responsibilities in the garden each week. For example, one student was responsible for watering plants while another student made sure that the plants had the correct temperature and lighting conditions. This garden was a team effort by all of the students, teachers and staff who participated with enthusiasm. The Principal donated many planters for us to get started and allowed two students every Thursday to earn Community Service Credit by watering plants in her Office and the Main Office. Because of Principal Jones’s encouragement and enthusiasm for the project, the students were able to feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence. She was always delighted when they came to the Main Office to check the plants. Soon the students needed no instruction in routine maintenance of plants. After we beautified our school and community with plants, we wrote up a plan to set up our own business since many teachers and students wanted to purchase the plants we started from seed or by cuttings. We hope to be able to eventually set up our own business and sell plants for special holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas. The theme of our SLC–Communities in Schools–is an entrepreneurship so we made a sign saying "Future Brook Nursery." We made two other signs with "Brook Nursery" written on them to show to our classroom guests. We got several donations of plants that need to be re-potted and revitalized under our grow light and then returned back into the classroom. These plants were brought to our Greenhouse/Garden by the teachers who did not how to take care of their own plants. The whole garden experience influenced many students in different ways. For some, it gave them a sense of accomplishment because they not only built, planned and made the garden but they also learned to work with other people on a common goal and tasks. For other students, it gave them a sense of self-esteem that they had not had before and a realization of entrepreneurship. Not only were students building and designing something that they enjoyed, but they also realized the business process and the hard work that it takes to build and maintain living thing–even if only plants. They realized by comparing prices how expensive plants are but it was a gift that was appreciated by all that received them. They saw that you can make money doing something that you enjoy, give people a better environment to work in, and that others appreciate the plants–whether in a classroom, office, school, or community. The best part is that we can all be a part of it. |
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