Students in the after-school Garden Club were busy in the school garden and greenhouse this spring, prepping the raised beds, planting herbs and vegetables, and learning how to compost. A donation of eco-soil from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority and seeds from ACE Hardware in Egg Harbor Township helped kick-start the planting season.
“We are very grateful to the ACUA and ACE Hardware for showing their support for our school garden and greenhouse program,” said 4th grade teacher Eric Tardif, who is co-advisor of the Garden Club along with 4th grade teacher Rebecca Jackson. The 20 students in the Garden Club began meeting on April 15 and met every Thursday through June 10.
The ACUA donated and delivered 10 cubic yards of eco-soil on April 21 and the students got to work adding the new soil into the eight raised beds the next day. In the greenhouse, the students planted a number of herbs in baskets and starter trays, including basil, lavender, oregano, peppermint, and rosemary, and then replanted the young plants in the raised beds.
On April 29, the students put together a new compost bin and learned about composting. Mrs. Jackson, who has a compost bin for her own home garden, talked about what food scraps and other materials contribute to the decomposition process in a compost bin. As a snack, the students ate apples and put the cores into the compost bin.
In addition to planting herbs, the students have planted beets, carrots, green beans, radishes, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. The first harvesting experience came on June 10, when the students picked radishes and enjoyed tasting them and taking some home to their families.
Tardif said activity in the school garden will continue through the summer with participation by students in the summer Cougar Camp program.
