Class Gardens

The Discovery Garden gives students, teachers and parents the chance to take lessons learned in the traditional classroom into the "natural classroom". Math, language arts, life science, social studies, art and more can be explored in a hands-on way. Each grade level, kindergarten thru third, is given a garden theme and garden projects based upon grade specific curriculum.

Kindergarten: The Edible Garden

Kindergarteners planted an edible garden (otherwise known as Peter Rabbit's Garden). This year plant choices included: carrots, lettuce, radishes, peas, onions and kale. All four classes celeberated "Fabulous Radish Friday". Radishes and lettuce were harvested by the students and eaten for lunch. The year culminated with the harvesting of the carrots and onions to make Kinder Carrot Soup (served for lunch with a side of fresh kale and peas).


"The Edible Garden" was planted with radishes, carrots, onions, lettuce and kale.

A kindergartener harvesting carrots

The kindergarteners harvested carrots, onions and kale.


Kindergarteners made soup from their fresh vegetables. Yummy.

1st Grade: Herb Garden

First graders planted an herb garden. Plant choices this year included: lemon grass, rose geranium, spearmint, chocolate mint, chamomile, lemon balm, lemon verbena, sage, parsley, cilantro, creeping thyme and chives. Some first grade classes culminated their year by harvesting herbs to make teabags. Others made sage bundles.



Take a peek at the first grade garden: chamomile, chives, sage, parsley, and creeping thyme.


Chamomile was harvested and hung in the classroom to dry.


First graders made teabags from dried herbs.


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2nd Grade: Butterfly/Insect Garden

Second grade students planted a butterfly/insect garden. This garden was designed to attract butterflies and beneficial insects. Plant choices included: sweetpeas, snapdragons, lobelia, amaryllis, cyclamen, impatiens, larkspur, icelandic poppies, delphinium, rudbeckia, alyssum, violas, pansies, calendula, stock, english daisies, crocosmia, chinese forget-me-nots, and narcissus. Students made pesto and zucchini bread from basil and squash harvested from other parts of the garden. They learned about vermicomposting and the importance of worms and the decomposition of materials in the garden. Some students harvested sweetpea seeds from plants they had grown as first graders. The seeds were then replanted into the garden to produce a second year crop. They culminated their year by pressing flowers for a variety of applications.



Amaryllis in the second grade garden



3rd Grade: Native American Garden

Third graders planted a Native American garden. Plant choices included: sunflowers, California poppies, grapes, yellow straightneck squash, pattypan squash, zucchini squash, onions, tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Lessons compared and contrasted the students' modern day experience in the garden to those of the Native Americans: focusing on tools, seed sources, water sources and uses of crops. Classes culminated their year by making stuffed grape leaves, and salsa using produce harvested directly from the garden.



Squash grown in the native american garden.




4th and 5th Grade Garden Club

This year the Discovery Garden hosted the Fourth and Fifth Grade Garden Club. On the first Tuesday of every month, fourth and fifth grade students could come during their lunch break to participate in a variety of gardening experiences. This was an exciting group of students to work. They were quick learners, articulate, fun and helpful. At the beginning of the year they cleared the garden and prepared the space for the lower grades to begin planting. They planted herbs boxes that were sold at Open House, California Poppies on the fence by the carpool gate, and bulbs and roses into pots that were placed into auction. They assisted at the Discovery Garden booth at Open House and Eco-Fest.