Washington-Hoyt Elementary School held an Earth Day garden improvement day on April 22, led by Rosemary Ponnekanti, Green Schools parent volunteer. The object for the renovation plan of the day was to clean, clear and improve the garden site at the corner of North 27
th and Adam streets to make the garden beds usable for teachers, create a living parking lot barrier/carbon offset and create wildlife habitat while beautifying the area.
Some of the tasks for the garden renovation project included:
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hoeing and weeding existing planter boxes in preparation for garden lessons
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build new shallow planter boxes around curving fences for annual climbing plants in season such as sweet peas, sunflowers, pumpkin vines, raspberry and blueberry bushes
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plant dirt mound near planters with native evergreens and perennials to create wildlife/butterfly habitat: Oregon grape, asters, purple Echinacea, penstemon, yarrow, sage, rosemary and lavender
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The plan also includes planting a self-pollinating fruit tree near the fence in the fall; replacing the informational sign and creating some kind of artwork such as planter mosaic tiles or a ground mural.
The generosity of donors made the garden renovation possible, and donors included Gray Lumber, Calendula Nursery, Gardensphere, L’Arche Farms, Accents in Nature (Proctor Farmers’ Market), H&B Topsoil and various parents and teachers.
On Earth Day, the students planted peas, lettuce, cabbage, nasturtiums, dill, beans, tomatoes, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, marigolds, parsley, beets, potatoes and wildflowers. In mid-June, Ponnekanti plans a harvest party for the spring vegetables with the excess produce to be donated to the FISH Food Bank.
If the school plants summer crops, which will need care during the summer, Washington-Hoyt will hold another harvest party in the fall, said Ponnekanti.
Other green school initiatives planned at Washington-Hoyt include a carpool/walking bus hook-up Web site; extra trash cans outside the school; student-conducted energy audit; Litter Pick-Up Day on May 16; and a Walk to School Day.
Contact Rosemary Ponnekanti at 253.722.6860 for more information on the garden renovation project. Contact Felicity Devlin at 253.761.8066 for information on the other green schools projects at Washington-Hoyt.