education | What's not to like?

If I unscrolled my garden “to-do list,” I am certain it would roll out my front door and down my street. In any garden—especially a school garden as ambitious as ours—there is simply a massive amount of things to do.

Last week, I received two little gifts (I call them “bon bons”) in the midst of all the garden work. One is that I took my son’s kindergarten on a sensory tour of the garden. No fancy lesson plan or exciting activity—I simply asked the kids to quietly walk through the garden. Then I asked them to name something they “saw, smelled or heard” that was 1)new, 2)beautiful or 3) interesting. The kids were coming out of their skin in excitement as we took time out for sheer discovery. I came back to class, after three rounds of little people, just a little bit exhilirated.

Another story: On this blog I can check my “site stats.” Every day I can see how many views I’ve had, what posts folks are reading and even what specific “search engine terms” people typed in that led them to my blog. Readers, apparently, have found me by googling “mosaic art” and “photography and placemaking” and of course “school gardens.”

Last week I saw that someone arrived at my blog because he/she typed in the phrase:

“positive things that happen to people going to school.”

Bon bon.

I am reminded that the cure for feeling overwhelmed by– many things really— is often immersing yourself in the reasons you are doing all the little tasks in the first place. Remembering the vision at the core of your work, you then let that joy propel you into the next day and the next task.

First grade's sunflowers from last season, growing in a space that was formerly overlooked and neglected (photo courtesy of Marisa McFedries)

1. People like knowing good things are happening in their community. Every year our school hosts an open house for Global Youth Service Day. Last year our “Garden Ambassadors” led garden tours for community members as part of the program. We had neighbors, business owners, school board members, fellow gardeners—even the librarians walked up to the campus in shifts. More than one adult approached me with tears in their eyes, saying “This is so wonderful.” Seeing kids poised, knowledgeable, and proud of a project they’re involved in…..well, it just feels good, and makes you happy to know that it’s going on in the place where you live .

Garden Ambassadors orients visitors at our bulletin board

2. If people are going to support their local schools, they need to be connected to them. Last Spring the women’s group from my church asked for a tour in conjunction with their monthly meeting. Some of them had not stepped foot on campus in twenty years (when their kids were students); some of them had never stepped foot on campus. And once they did….they noticed our beautiful murals….and our commanding view of Mt. Volcan from our playground…..and the fact that we have a full-time PE teacher! I had to keep coaxing them back to the garden, as they were caught up in looking around with excitement. As we were sitting at the table starting our tour, one of the teacher aides walked up with a quilt. She had sewn a beautiful quilt for a raffle to support the tsunami victims in Japan. Seeing the women assembled, she asked if she could show it and explain the fundraiser. Naturally I invited her over, and the dollar bills started flying across the table–“I’ll take two tickets,” “Here’s a donation!” “I’ll take a ticket, keep the change.” Sometimes people simply need to know what’s going on to be a part of it.

I love these ladies!

3. You never know what connections and possibilities these visits may produce. After a visit, a neighbor donated a small solar panel unit. A retired school teacher brought by three asclepsis plants for our habitat garden (each one had monarch eggs, a chrysalis and even caterpillars) and then gave a wonderful presentation to the first grade students. And then…….

Last summer a parent volunteer invited her neighbor to tour the garden. An artist, the neighbor also runs a local business. After visiting the garden, she decided to create a mosaic sculpture for us. When I called to thank her and ask why she made such a generous and spontaneous donation, she cited everything from the “beautiful yellow snapdragons” to the fact that some of her clients work at the school, and she wanted to do this for them. I was on vacation when the piece was delivered, and I was amazed to see it sitting in the garden when I returned—a unexpected grace note. We held a ceremony and unveling, with the Garden Ambassadors assisting, and it sits in our butterfly garden today.