beanstalk, Author at Seed St. Louis

Nahed Chapman New American Academy International Garden

Posted on July 18, 2016 by beanstalk

The Journey Begins with Us

My original questions was…Can we provide refugee students with information that can assist them in overcoming the unique challenges that exist in their classrooms? As the nation’s demographics change, so does our responsibility to meet the needs of this diverse student body. These students have significant implications for educational and social policy. One component of the Nahed Chapman New American Academy ecological milieu was to provide avenues for in-depth discussions of practices that can help all students make informed choices when it comes to our environment. As a result of those discussions, surveys were taken and students decided to plan and grow an International Garden.

We began our quest to become a “greener school” with conducting student-led school-wide needs assessments, conducting research, advocating for change with key stakeholders and coordinating a symposia that highlighted successes via our school newsletter. There is always a lot to learn about the lives of people that we interact with each day that will establish a better rapport. Without some connections, people often unintentionally make gross generalizations about others. The end result of this activity—students who come from diverse backgrounds became teachers, too.

Most supermarkets are stocked with foods that could easily be grown locally. Yet food is often transported from countries thousands of miles away to local supermarkets. If home grown food was grown and/or purchased more often, this would dramatically reduce the amount of fuel used and consequently the amount of pollution created. Likewise, if our community partners consumed locally produced seasonal foods instead of out of season foods, this too would decrease our carbon footprint. Composting is good for the environment and for gardens. We have designated an area in our court yard to put fruit peels, and uneaten food. After a while, we’ll be able to use the compost to fertilize our International Garden.

Education still remains the pathway that leads people out of despair and hopelessness. My intent was to provide information concerning culturally relevant strategies, school-wide initiatives, and individual classroom practices that help to close the vocabulary, reading, writing, and content area literacy gaps that exist for many students. In this Science Unit, I included adaptations and accommodations to help a range of learners gain access to the curriculum. Schools reflect the attitudes and commitment of the entire community. Indeed what seems to have occurred is the first endorsement of a school-wide “Go Greener” initiative. I am cheered by the possibility of making a difference.

Together we can make a difference that will last for millions of lifetimes—the journey begins with us.

By Nelver Brooks, Middle School Science Teacher at Nahed Chapman New American Academy and Garden Leader with the International Garden.

AMEN|St. Louis, Dig It STL & the Gateway Greening Urban Farm

Posted on June 27, 2016 by beanstalk

Last week was a busy week on the Gateway Greening Urban Farm! The summer session of the Therapeutic Job Training Program is in full swing, teens participating in our Dig It! summer employment program are busy weeding and harvesting between classes, multiple volunteer groups have left their mark on our newly weed-free beds and school field trips have been ramping up the energy (and laughs) all over the place. Earlier this week I escaped the office to take pictures on the GG Urban Farm (you can never have enough images of people and food!), and came across many of these groups in action.

Work Around the Farm

This time of year the Farm is bursting with more than people – crops are ripening, being harvested, and in some cases, being replaced. It’s all part of our Succession Planting technique, where we take advantage of our crops’ natural lifecycles to continuously plant, harvest, and replant throughout the growing season. It’s one of the many ways we make the most of our available space and also increase our yields in an environmentally healthy, sustainable way. This week found our food distribution manager, Jannel, repainting row signs so that everyone would know where each crop is! This week also saw tomato plants being staked, cucumbers and other viners being trellised, and of course, endless rounds of weeding and watering.

Sometimes Farm Team will take on special side projects, like Farm Manager Rachel did this week. During my visit, she was busily preparing colorful container pots to be planted with assorted herbs. These containers will be used in a Cultivating Young Cooks Event at the Missouri Botanical Garden in August, an event that celebrates kids and food.

Dig It STL

Our Farm Team staff aren’t the only ones hard at work. The Dig It crew has been busy in spite of the heat, and they have the sun tans to prove it!

Dig IT STL is Gateway Greening’s teen employment program, offering local teens an opportunity to spend their summer learning about agriculture, conservation, and gaining valuable job skills – all while getting paid.

I managed to catch up with the crew as they were wrapping up a morning spent weeding on the farm. Once the weeds were composted, the crew quickly washed up and settled in at the onsite outdoor classroom for a lesson on soil science, complete with experiment. After spending a morning weeding and working in the sun, it probably felt great to sit down in the shade for awhile!

AMEN|St. Louis

Picture if you will: a blazing hot summer day full of sunshine, heat advisories, and stubborn weeds. For many of us, that’s a recipe for a serious case of the ‘grumps’ by lunchtime – but not this group! These volunteers are from Charleston, IL and came to spend a morning on the GG Urban Farm as part of a week-long mission trip with AMEN|St. Louis, a ministry of Oak Hill Presbyterian Church located in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood. When I met them they were cheerfully joking back and forth while freeing our Herb Berm from a serious invasion of bermudagrass.

I couldn’t resist stopping to chat with such a fun group, and learned all about their trip. In addition to volunteering at our farm, they’ve also visited Lydia’s House, Caroline MIssion, House of Goods and several other local nonprofits. When asked what they found most striking or memorable about their trip, one woman had her answer ready: “I think I’m most impressed with what St. Louis is doing to improve living here.”

Four months in:

It’s four months into my year with Gateway Greening, and I can honestly say that a trip to the Gateway Greening Urban Farm is always a new and exciting experience: you never know what you’ll see or who you’ll meet. In spite of the variety, there’s a constant feeling of welcome and a strong sense of community here, making it a truly special place. With any luck, I’ll see you there the next time I escape the office!

– Erin Wood, Communications and Fundraising AmeriCorps VISTA

Gateway Greening Invites the Public to the City Seeds Therapeutic Job Training Spring Class of 2016 Graduation Ceremony

Posted on June 16, 2016 by beanstalk

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 16, 2016)…Gateway Greening is working to solve issues of homelessness and substance abuse in downtown St. Louis using a unique approach: urban agriculture. For 10 years, Gateway Greening has partnered with the St. Patrick Center, an organization that provides housing, employment and health programs to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, to send program clients through a 10-week therapeutic job training program at The Gateway Greening Urban Farm.

The Gateway Greening Urban Farm, located at 2200 Pine Street, is growing everything from herbs to pumpkins. The farm is managed by Gateway Greening employee Rachel Deffenbaugh. But the real growth happens within the people participating in the City Seeds therapeutic job training program. Former St. Patrick Center client and City Seeds graduate Frank Warren explains what the program meant to him: “I was homeless, and was dying to be a part of society and not a burden. I needed to be important. I needed to matter, and then City Seeds came along. There wasn’t much money involved, but it didn’t matter. I had a chance to matter again, and that’s what I needed—a purpose. And did I ever get one.”

Rachel Deffenbaugh has been working with the City Seeds program for five and a half years. “We use gardening and growing things as a means of providing clients with coping skills for whatever they are struggling with but also just peace of mind.” The produce that is grown by the clients is harvested and sold through a CSA program, or Community Supported Agriculture. Any other produce harvested is sold wholesale or donated to participating clients and food pantries. On average, the farm produces 18,000 pounds of food annually.

The Therapeutic Job Training Spring Class will celebrate its graduation on Friday, June 17 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Center, located at 800 N. Tucker Blvd. in downtown St. Louis. Gateway Greening invites the public to attend the ceremony. Clients will speak about their experiences and how they have helped them overcome struggles. In addition, staff will recognize accomplishments and graduates will receive a graduation certificate.

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening

About St. Patrick Center

St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and financial stability

The goal of St. Patrick Center’s three-year Strategic Plan is to work collaboratively with the St. Louis community to end chronic homelessness in the region.

For more information, visit www.stpatrickcenter.org.

Building Our Community | Mallinckrodt School Garden

Posted on June 7, 2016 by beanstalk

Gateway Greening’s primary goal is to promote community development through its various programs and, in my role as a Youth Educator, I get to witness our organization’s mission come to life.

As a youth educator, I work with schools and teachers. Instead of handing them lessons and lesson plans, I work with them and their students and we learn together how to use the school garden as a tool for education. In this process of learning outdoors, we grow a garden and we use this as a tool to grow our community.

Mrs. Dixon showing her students how to plant peppers. She is a master of using the garden as an educational tool.

Yesterday, I was at Mallinckrodt School Garden dropping off the plants that Bill Ruppert, of National Nursery Products, had donated to Mallinckrodt Academy. During his visit to this school garden in April, Bill received a tour from a bunch of excited students. These students were so proud of their pollinator garden bed and thoroughly highlighted the purpose of these plants in their garden.

Students giving a tour to their visitors and showing them their bug hotel. Bill Ruppert is at the back of the group making careful observations and then finding a way to support their project.

Bill noticed that they were in need of more pollinator plants and happily donated hundreds of dollars worth of plant material to fill in their sparse pollinator beds.

In the foreground are the native pollinator plants donated by Bill Ruppert. Thank you Bill Ruppert! In the background, you are seeing Silvio turning over a bed to plant the tomatoes he grew in the Mallinckrodt School Garden.

As I was unloading these plants at Mallinckrodt School Garden, a neighbor named Silvio Angeli stopped by. He wanted to see if we needed any tomato plants. He is an avid home gardener and lives a couple of houses down from the school garden and had some extra that he wanted to share with us. I was thrilled not at the prospect of acquiring the tomato plants but for the hope of gaining one more stakeholder. I told Silvio we would love to have the tomato plants. He not only gave us those plants but also turned over the bed and got them in the ground.

Silvio Angeli, thank you for being a superstar, neighbor extraordinary to the Mallinckrodt School Garden!

Gateway Greening’s community gardens not only grow food but also helps people build relationships. It is these relationships that slowly strengthen our community. There are many ways to support community gardening in St. Louis. Be sure to reach out to a Gateway Greening community garden next to where you live (map) and offer your talent or volunteer with us.

St. Louis will look very different if we all find a small way to invest back in our community and build meaningful ties and relationships with our neighbors.

Susan, a community gardener, involving students from Cote Brilliant into her gardening routine. These students helped her get the sweet potatoes planted. Community building at its best!

Thank you Bill Ruppert and Silvio Angeli for your contribution to Mallinckrodt School Garden, a Gateway Greening project. We look forward to seeing you soon.

-Punita Patel, Gateway Greening Youth Educator

Gateway Greening Partners with Crown Valley Organics for Year Two on the “Perfect Picks” Program

Posted on June 2, 2016 by beanstalk

(ST. LOUIS, MO., June 2, 2016)… Gateway Greening, St. Louis’ expert in community gardening, is helping backyard and community gardeners find the perfect vegetables and herbs for their gardens this season through the “Perfect Picks” program, a retail produce line that began in 2015 and features vegetables and herbs that are “Gateway Greening Approved.”

Working with St. Genevieve, MO grower Crown Valley Organics, the organization has selected a number of organically grown and certified vegetable starts that grow easily in our region and provide an abundant harvest. From now through the late summer, these “Perfect Picks” plants will be available at several garden centers and nurseries in the area, with Crown Valley Organics donating 18 cents to Gateway Greening for every unit sold.

“For many gardeners, it can be overwhelming when deciding what plants to grow in your garden each season. Gateway Greening is taking the guesswork out of the game with the Perfect Picks. These veggies and herbs have been approved by our very knowledgeable staff to be the most prolific selections for St. Louis gardeners,” said Matt Schindler, Executive Director of Gateway Greening. “St. Louis Garden Centers have been very supportive of this program and now, nearly every area of St. Louis has a Garden Center carrying the Perfect Picks. It is wonderful!”

Join Gateway Greening for an upcoming Perfect Pick Autumn Garden Workshop at the Science Center’s GROW Exhibit on Saturday, July 16 from 10am-12pm. RSVP to [email protected].

For more information on the Perfect Picks Program, a list of the Perfect Picks selections, or for information on Gateway Greening and its programs, visit www.perfectpicks.org or call 314-588-9600.

The Perfect Picks can be found at the following Garden Centers:

Bayer’s Garden Shop, Imperial
Cat’s Gardens, University City
Crabapple Cove Nursery, Oakville
Frisella Nursery, Defiance
Garden Heights Nursery, Richmond Heights
Greenscape Gardens, Manchester
Hillermann Nursery, Washington
Intaglia Home & Garden, Maplewood
Local Harvest – Tower Grove, St. Louis
Lucky’s Market, Ellisville and Rockhill
Rolling Ridge Nursery, Webster Groves
Sandy’s Back Porch, Belleville, IL
Sugar Creek Gardens, Kirkwood
University Gardens, University City
Whole Foods Market, Brentwood

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic job training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Abundance

Posted on May 31, 2016 by beanstalk

At Clay Elementary, the mulberries are falling from the trees like a black and blue rain and the elderflowers are blooming. We harvested cabbage and lettuce on the last day of school, and the very first raspberry was bright red against the leaves. Somehow we ended up with a whole bed of rutabagas, all the size of baseballs and only getting bigger. The preschool class made a big batch of strawberry rhubarb jam from the garden. 5 perfect strawberries lingered under the leaves after all the classes had gone inside. And there was still more to be picked, everywhere we looked– mountains of sage, mint, and kale, gobbling up sunlight and reaching out for more.

So often we feel that resources- money, time, patience- are scarce, and that feeling of scarcity can take a heavy emotional toll. Growing food can replenish our feelings of abundance. Plant one tomato seed, and at the end of the year, you’ll end up with not only tomatoes, but thousands more tomato seeds. Plant asparagus or apple trees one time, and for the next 50 years, it will feed you like clockwork. Chickens lay eggs almost every day. Everything in the garden grows, from a child’s perspective, as if by magic. Suddenly one day, from a seed and then a stem and then a leafy mass, there are peas. As they begin to understand some of the natural systems behind the magic– photosynthesis, the water cycle, the soil food web– kids realize that the earth has given us the tools we need to take care of ourselves, if we are willing.

School gardens are surging in popularity, and many researchers are trying to pinpoint what exactly it is about growing food that seems to benefit children so much. I think we know the answer. A full bed of ripe strawberries challenges the narrative of scarcity, anxiety, and helplessness, and replaces it with other things- joy, gratitude, and hope.

-Youth Educator Carolyn Cosgrove Payne

Field Trip Season is in Full Swing!

Posted on May 26, 2016 by beanstalk

Did you know that Gateway Greening offers field trips to the Demonstration Garden and Gateway Greening Urban Farm?

Clay Elementary’s second-grade class did! They recently spent a morning at the Bell Demonstration & Community Garden with Gateway Greening educators Carolyn and Kathleen, exploring the colors, sounds, textures, and even tastes of the plants growing there. The field trip began with a scavenger hunt, with kids and chaperones scattering to the far corners of the extensive garden space to hunt for colors, shapes, and organisms. Without realizing it, the students were practicing simple math and descriptive language as part of the fun!

Once the kids had burned off a bit of energy (and explored every inch of the garden thoroughly) they were invited to meet the long-time residents of the PURINA community coop – Fat George and the rest of her flock! These chickens are always a favorite with the kids, coming close to the coop’s screens to be fed and admired by all while the educators spoke a bit about how to care for and raise chickens. Biology is always more interesting when the subject of the lesson squawks back!

One of the best things about taking kids outside and into the garden for lessons is how eager they are to try and do absolutely everything – even spread mulch. Students learned all about working together to accomplish tasks as they shoveled, carted, and spread mulch in one of Bell Garden’s many native plant beds. (It also proved to be a handy way to start a conversation about building healthy soil!)

But without a doubt, the best part of the field trip was making ‘herbal’ lemonade from scratch, using fresh lemons, sugar, water, and fresh-picked herbs straight from the surrounding garden. Not only was it tasty to drink, but the kids had a blast asking questions and picking herbs to flavor their lemonade!

Does anyone else find themselves wishing they could go back to being a kid for a day? I know I sure did – it all looked like fun!

-Gateway Greening AmeriCorps VISTA Erin Wood

Place to Sit

Posted on May 24, 2016 by beanstalk

Often we recieve donations for such benches that are odd and we find ways to make them work.

What are school gardens without a place to sit? As a school garden educator, seating is the first thing I tackle when I go into a new school garden setting. I have quickly learned that gardens that do not accommodate seating for the whole class run poorly. When classes come out to the garden they need the same kind of structure and routine as they do when they are indoors. Having a place to sit and center before starting garden related activities is an essential step to having a successful outdoor experience.

Here one school parent is helping with this seemingly complicated installation process.

Yup, it works.

Seat is good to go.

There are many options when it comes to outdoors seating as you see below. My favorite type by far is the one we make ourselves using stumps from forestry department. I like that it is easy and free to create but I mostly love it because it allows each student to have his or her stump. Crowding on a limited seating outdoors is often a problem and inadvertently leads students squabbling over something.

Our outdoor classroom at Shaw VPA from earlier this spring.

We do not have a hammock at any of the school gardens that I work at but I have always contemplated it. Why stop at seating when you can be swinging?

Picture from earlier this spring when we didn’t have much to garden we did lot of garden art. I love stumps but various seating options are important for this reason.

Favorites

A very quiet classroom on a Saturday afternoon.

Even little robin likes this one.

My favorite configuration for seating as it accomodates for large and small groups.

Someone placed this bench under the oak a few years ago at Bell and it’s been there since. These kids think it’s there to help them climb their beloved tree. They mostly use it as a ladder or a stage.

This infant comes with his mom at Mallinckrodt school garden and brings his own seating. His mom weeds and plants while he sits and waves at everyone!

Shaw VPA got new picnic benches as part of their garden awards from Gateway Greening this spring. They have been well worn already for all the use they have seen already.

…and sometimes it looks like lady bugs. Art teacher at Shaw has done a fabulous job with embracing the garden and incorporating it into her art curriculum.

Art class outdoors looks like this.

This beautiful artwork lives in the garden at Shaw VPA.

Sometimes teachers just use what they have. Ms. Davie holding together her group of girls as they sat on the ground to finish their pre-test.

These tables are so cute and they work well for small group activities.

Tiny table for 4 doubles its capacity but this accommodation does not come without squabbles of who they can or can not sit next to.

Student found writing under the grape arbor.

One way to use stepping stones.

Place to sit

These students won ice-cream with the school’s principal. Having variety of seating options makes garden inviting to larger groups of users.

At Shaw VPA teachers ask cafetaria staff to brown bag students’ lunches so they can sit in the garden to eat. Did you know you can request this option for your students?

A new arrangment with some extra stumps.

Found at Cote Brilliant Community Garden and it is this seat that has inspired me to write this blog post. I love Cote and keep it close to my heart for this reason.

The view you will have when you are sitting on this garden throne.

Summer is the time when educators have time to take a deep breath and evaluate what worked and how we can do things differently next year. This summer put outdoor classroom on your radar when doing such an evaluation. Be sure to ask yourself if your outdoor space has the kind of seating that will make you successful in your endeavor.

-Punita Patel, Youth Educator

SLCL Installs Third Community Garden at the Grant’s View Branch

Posted on May 19, 2016 by beanstalk

SLCL Installs Third Community Garden at the Grant’s View Branch

St. Louis County Library and Gateway Greening are pleased to announce the installation of the newest library garden on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the Grant’s View Branch. This is the third community garden for the Library District–the Cliff Cave and Prairie Commons Branches also have gardens, but are both currently closed for construction. The Grant’s View Branch is located in South St. Louis County at 9700 Musick Road, directly across from Grant’s Farm.

Garden volunteers will gather at the Grant’s View Branch on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. to construct 24 4’x12′ raised beds and four easily accessible raised beds for individuals with disability issues. The garden area is already equipped with a waterline and a sidewalk; a tool shed will be added at a later date. Aetna is the corporate sponsor of the Grant’s View community garden.

SLCL’s community garden program has been extremely popular. All 28 garden beds at the Grant’s View location have been reserved for the 2016 growing season, and a waiting list has begun for next year.

Similar to the library’s other community gardens, the Grant’s View garden will offer programming and educational opportunities. Plans for an adjacent children’s garden are still in progress.

SLCL’s partnership with Gateway Greening began in 2012, creating the first library community garden at the Prairie Commons Branch. The program was so successful, that a second garden was installed at the Cliff Cave Branch in 2013–with garden expansions taking place at both locations. The Grant’s View Community Garden is the third collaboration between Gateway Greening and SLCL. The project will be the largest garden installation ever undertaken by Gateway Greening.

For more information about the Grant’s View Community Garden, please contact Jennifer McBride at 314-994-3300 ext. 2250.

Photos are courtesy of St. Louis County Library.

What a Couple of Weeks Looks Like at GG’s School Gardens

Posted on May 10, 2016 by beanstalk

The last few weeks of school are always full of a flurry of activities. School gardens are not an exception; we feel the squeeze as the students start to count down the days. There are so many i’s to dot and peas to pick and so little time to get in the summer vegetables and plant the sweet potatoes slips.

Are you feeling the same squeeze? Are you scratching your head trying to figure out how to fit it all in?

The answer may be different for everyone but for us at Mallinckrodt Academy, Shaw VPA, Gateway Elementary and Clay is that we make time for outdoor education and we stick with it against all odds, sort of how you would to lunch periods.

I wanted to share our week in the nutshell using pictures to convey all the ways we have used our school garden this past week or two.

It will be all over before you know it but while you are at it don’t forget to enter the Sweet Potato Competition and pick up your sweet potato slips. It makes for a great finale.

A little note from students found on the garden’s chalkboard.

Gateway Greening Board members came and worked alongside of Mallinckrodt students and parents one fine April Saturday morning. Here they are preping student made pavers.

Pulling out raddishes to add to the salad we made for the Saturday workday with GGI board.

GGI’s executive director was at Mallinckrodt work day with his whole family. Here they are sharing with the group the highlights of their experience on this workday.

GGI staff and board members, Mallinckrodt parents, and students sitting down at the school’s outdoor classroom at the end of the work day to share a salad made using ingredients from the garden.

Fifth grader at Mallinckrodt Academy preparing salad with the help from Amanda Doyle, a parent of a 2nd grader at Mallinckrodt.

This is the aftermath of the Earth Day. Thank you Earth Day for helping Gateway Greening squirrel away all the strawbales for the season. Thank you Laura Allers-Lowry.

We now have a plenty of straw to keep those potatoes hilled and keep all those weeds at bay.

A student had made a nest during art class that she wanted to bring outside so the birds can use the yard from to create a real nest. Garden fever comes in many shapes and colors.

2nd Graders at Mallinckrodt hatched out some chickens and 3rd graders raised them. A few students created a chicken hotel out of boxes for them to live in. Here a student is creating a little library.

Chicken hotel with different rooms and doors cut out in the boxes.

Students came out to the garden to learn how to make a salad using the lettuce from their garden. Thank you Diana Finlay for the lesson on the easy dressing recipe.

Fourth graders are reading Seedfolks and creating their own seedfolk bed. So far we they have planted beans and here they were planting Goldenrod.

Giving up recess to work with Ms. Punita. I often hear students say, ”This is more fun than recess. All we ever do during recess is play four square.”

We do not have a yard waste dumpster so using all these sticks we attempted a hugelkultur bed.

More of the chicken hotel.

This by far is the coolest chicken hotel in Saint Louis, I hope these chickens know that.

Not too long ago my co-worker taught me about this beautiful native black locust. They were in bloom in our region last week. Here students at Shaw VPA are getting to know about black locust.

Learning with Mrs. Diana. Here they were tasting Kohlrabi.

Weeding and chatting at Shaw VPA.

Seeds we had collected during our seeds class in fall are being used this spring for soap making. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel to see our video on how to make soap in the garden.

Watching the soap melt.

Students at Mallinckrodt leading a tour of their garden for our Garden programs biggest supporter. Here they are showing off the bug hotel.

Shaw VPA students also got to show off all their hard work in the garden.

Routinely we uproot mint and put it outside for parents to pick up after school.

All planned activities come to an halt when this guests visit or are discovered by students. And when these guests are discovered by students in our garden they stop all planned activities and focus on them.

What a beautiful creature.

Endless joy of tumbling a composter.

Hard at work!

Mint anybody?

Serious weeding at Gateway Elementary. This all girls class just got done with MAP testing and we heard weeding is quite an antidote to test related stress.

Planting ninebark they secured from Gateway Greening’s Great Perennial Divide. Thank you Hannah for all the effort you put in to GPD to beautify our city.

Go Gateway! The all girls class and their teacher cleaned up a patch of weeds quite nicely to plant some plants they got from Gateway Greening’s Great Perennial Divide.