"Our garden grows like a real garden should. Naturally, wildly." --5th grade student
Care For Self. Care For Others. Care For Land.
A Good Foundation
When the staff and school made a commitment to establishing the school garden program in 2012, they set down a working plan to promote its sustainability. Inspired by a presentation from Michael Becker of Hood River Middle School, they began to imagine what a permaculture garden would look like at Springwater. In doing so, they developed two documents that would help shape the garden for the next few years. Here's how they focused these ideas:
With this foundation, Kaci Rae was able to focus each garden class to a specific theme that relates to the studies of each grade. The idea is that students will graduate in their garden themes from Kindergarten-8th grade so that at the end of their time at Springwater they are mini-"Master Gardeners".
Permaculture & Science
The tenets of permaculture, made popular by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, fit well into the three focuses encouraged at Springwater: care for self, care for others, care for community and land.
These three phrases are an inspiration and motto for the unique culture at Springwater. The three “expectations” are flexible to the children’s development and change meaning throughout their studies. They are also helpful tools to focus the students and give further empathetic meaning to the day’s lessons in the garden.
Permaculture tenets provide a great framework for building scientific learning in the garden program. For example, “Diversity is Stability,” the “Edge Effect,” and “Working With Nature,” focus the students on ways to treat the garden, its living inhabitants, and plants themselves. When the 2nd-3rd graders study soil ecosystems, they learn that soil and garden health and stability is directly impacted by the diversity of creatures living there. When 5th-6th graders explore the complexities of composting systems, they know that “Energy Cycling” can solve problems at school and in the larger community. By using permaculture as the lens to explore scientific lessons in the garden, Springwater students are encouraged to be innovative social and environmental minded citizens.
These three phrases are an inspiration and motto for the unique culture at Springwater. The three “expectations” are flexible to the children’s development and change meaning throughout their studies. They are also helpful tools to focus the students and give further empathetic meaning to the day’s lessons in the garden.
Permaculture tenets provide a great framework for building scientific learning in the garden program. For example, “Diversity is Stability,” the “Edge Effect,” and “Working With Nature,” focus the students on ways to treat the garden, its living inhabitants, and plants themselves. When the 2nd-3rd graders study soil ecosystems, they learn that soil and garden health and stability is directly impacted by the diversity of creatures living there. When 5th-6th graders explore the complexities of composting systems, they know that “Energy Cycling” can solve problems at school and in the larger community. By using permaculture as the lens to explore scientific lessons in the garden, Springwater students are encouraged to be innovative social and environmental minded citizens.
The Curriculum
When Springwater hired a School Garden Coordinator, it made a commitment to growing a quality, integrated garden program. The school wanted to make the garden space the heart of the school community by preparing a large permaculture garden and by developing a garden curriculum for each grade. Since 2012, the School Garden Coordinator has been working to establish a quality curriculum program from the foundations set by the Springwater staff and school.
How It Works
The curriculum follows an organic and seasonal flow that respects the opportunities that arise each season in the garden, as well as the students’ developing science skills. Each season has certain themes that apply for each grade. In this way, yearly garden work and maintenance are incorporated into class time:
Fall: involves harvesting, seed saving, and introducing the students to their garden theme.
Winter: lessons focus on inquiry projects, development of scientific methods, and preparing the garden for planting.
Spring: utilizing developed knowledge and applying it to the garden, spring planting and harvest.
How It Works
The curriculum follows an organic and seasonal flow that respects the opportunities that arise each season in the garden, as well as the students’ developing science skills. Each season has certain themes that apply for each grade. In this way, yearly garden work and maintenance are incorporated into class time:
Fall: involves harvesting, seed saving, and introducing the students to their garden theme.
Winter: lessons focus on inquiry projects, development of scientific methods, and preparing the garden for planting.
Spring: utilizing developed knowledge and applying it to the garden, spring planting and harvest.
Garden Maintenance Plan
As a school, we maintain the school garden and its seasonal needs. Some of the work is accomplished by individual classes and other work is done by the school as a whole. But everyone helps keep the garden growing!
Yearly Garden Work Plan
August
Weeding
Harvesting
Mark plants for future seed saving
Trim back plants from pathways
Turn compost
Reduce watering schedule for the summer
September
Harvest vegetables
Seed save lettuces and greens
Mark plants for future seed saving
October
Seed save tomatoes, beans, grains, tomatillos, squash, cucumbers, etc.
Mulch garden beds with straw, leaves, and dead plants
Remove sprinkler heads and hoses, release water and store
November
Continue mulching
Turn compost
Set up hoop houses over winter crops
December
Harvest from hoop houses
Mulch as necessary
January
Acquire burlap and wood chips for spring pathway projects
Start seeds inside
February
Begin seed starts
Sow seeds outside
March
Sow seeds outside and indoor for transplants
Remove hoop houses and store for the season
Weed
April
Sow seeds outside
Harden transplants outside
Lay burlap on pathways and cover with wood chips
Weed
May
Harvest spring vegetables
Weed
Sow summer vegetables
Build trellises
Establish soaker hoses, put on sprinkler heads, and set out hoses (fix if necessary)
June
Weed and think plants if necessary
Sow seeds
Set watering schedule for the summer
July
Sow fall/winter seeds
Harvest vegetables
Weed
August
Weeding
Harvesting
Mark plants for future seed saving
Trim back plants from pathways
Turn compost
Reduce watering schedule for the summer
September
Harvest vegetables
Seed save lettuces and greens
Mark plants for future seed saving
October
Seed save tomatoes, beans, grains, tomatillos, squash, cucumbers, etc.
Mulch garden beds with straw, leaves, and dead plants
Remove sprinkler heads and hoses, release water and store
November
Continue mulching
Turn compost
Set up hoop houses over winter crops
December
Harvest from hoop houses
Mulch as necessary
January
Acquire burlap and wood chips for spring pathway projects
Start seeds inside
February
Begin seed starts
Sow seeds outside
March
Sow seeds outside and indoor for transplants
Remove hoop houses and store for the season
Weed
April
Sow seeds outside
Harden transplants outside
Lay burlap on pathways and cover with wood chips
Weed
May
Harvest spring vegetables
Weed
Sow summer vegetables
Build trellises
Establish soaker hoses, put on sprinkler heads, and set out hoses (fix if necessary)
June
Weed and think plants if necessary
Sow seeds
Set watering schedule for the summer
July
Sow fall/winter seeds
Harvest vegetables
Weed