With the help of families, students and the Boy Scouts of America, DeMiguel’s gardens began to take shape in the Spring of 2010. We built retaining walls and raised beds, and planted new trees, flowers, and vegetables. Our vegetable beds are a mixture of annuals and perennials, and we have planted an apricot, cherry, aspen, plum, maple, and ash tree. We have had success in our vegetable beds this year (2011), with yellow squash, zucchini, lettuce, beans, and sunflowers. Although they are small, we also produced our first tomatoes and peppers this summer. Our main flower garden (Megan’s Garden) is in full bloom with myriad colors following the summer monsoons.
We have involved students all the way from kindergarten through high school in the gardens, landscaping and trails during volunteer days. The fourth graders, however, led the way last year by watering the gardens, planting vegetables, and developing behavior guidelines and presentations that they showed to other grade levels. We had about 20 families sign up to help with watering the gardens this summer.
This coming year we will be looking to improve our soil, add picnic benches and new plants, refine our methods for planting and watering the gardens, and incorporate Foodlink’s gardening curriculum into our classrooms.
Our Vision is to use gardening and land management as a means for students to design long term projects and learn the benefits of community service, sustainability, and teamwork.
Congrats to the parents who volunteered during the summer to keep this wonderful garden growing!