Children's Garden Work Day

The community garden had a small section set aside for a children’s area, but little had been done for it. The first Saturday I was at the APC, about fifty students from the local St. Mary’s College came to volunteer, as well as many APC staff and residents, and local community members. The area was heavily overgrown with grass and weeds. The area was mowed and weeded, and three new raised beds were constructed and placed next to the existing two beds. Mulch was added to the bottom of the beds and then filled with topsoil and compost. When I left, all the garden needed was some planted veggies.
The children’s garden provides many opportunities for the children of residents. The main benefit is the ability of the children’s program directors to have a place outside that the children can play and learn in a safe environment. It allows the creation of lessons and activities that cannot be seen and demonstrated in the classroom. The garden also gives the kids a sense of ownership. Most of the children in the APC are not often exposed to gardening, and this gives them the opportunity to see how food grows and where it comes from. It is an added bonus that there is a Health Kid’s Cooking Class that can use some of the food grown at the garden to show how to cook fresh vegetables.