Since 2011, Osborn Elementary School’s garden has been more than a patch of greenery in the middle of the campus. It has been a classroom, a social hub, and a sanctuary where children learn, play, and grow.
Cultivated by Rye resident and then-teacher’s aide Anne Mottola, the space began with just six raised beds and the mission to give students a place for hands-on lessons about nature, food, and responsibility.
Mottola, who grew up gardening with her father on Long Island, channeled her love of plants and her experience teaching at the New York Botanical Garden’s Edible Academy into a new project — an outdoor classroom where children could connect with and learn from nature. Over the years, the garden has grown, literally and communally — with the help of teachers, parents, and neighbors — and become a flourishing ecosystem of 28 beds at the heart of the school.
“I have witnessed children in the classroom who struggle in different ways, and when they come to the garden, they thrive,” said Mottola, now the garden manager and educator. “Being in the fresh air, in what feels like a safe and healthy environment, is good medicine. Children who feel overwhelmed at lunch or recess feel safe here. Children have different learning styles, and in the garden it’s all hands on, which really benefits most types of learners. Hands-on gardening makes abstract concepts tangible.”
The garden also has become a core part of Osborn’s curriculum. First and second graders participate in the literacy-based Bookworms Club, while older students can join the Garden Club to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Teachers use the outdoor classroom to supplement lessons in science, math, and art, while everyone at the school enjoys the view of lush flower beds from classrooms and hallways.
“The Osborn garden is an essential component of our school community,” PTO Co-Presidents Jen Cain and Stacy Bittel said in a statement. “Its flower beds can be seen throughout the school, giving students, staff, and visitors an everyday connection to nature. This calming retreat enriches the Osborn experience for all.
“Socially, students get to work on cooperation and communication. Emotionally, time working outdoors grooming, pruning, and planting in the garden can provide students with a sense of calm, connection, and support their overall well-being,” they added.
This year, the garden received a long-awaited improvement in the form of a new irrigation system.
EJ Scott, a former Osborn parent, spent many hours coordinating with Rye City School District Facilities Director Rob Gimigliano, Principal Angela Garcia, custodial staff, volunteers, and Mottola to replace the outdated sprinklers with a more efficient system.
“EJ offered to donate his time and the supplies, which is an extremely generous gift to Osborn School and to the district,” Mottola explained.
Said Scott: “It was just nice to help where I could make a small difference to the school, and to someone like Anne [Mottola], who gives so much more.”
To Mottola, however, the upgrade was transformative.
“For years, we had been using three overhead sprinklers that were not covering the beds and wasting a lot of water.” She said. “The beds are getting watered more efficiently, and less water is being wasted, which was very important to me and the children. EJ was able to hook up two hoses so the children can still easily hand-water the beds, which they love to do.”
The PTO has long supported the garden, raising money for supplies and special programs. At this fall’s Movie Night, Garden Club members sold their harvested vegetables, herbs, and flowers, raising $500 to invest in tools and seeds for the next planting season.
“The children learn so much about how the work they put in can then be turned into a business, which can then go toward improving their product and giving back to the community,” Cain and Bittel said.
With the garden now running more smoothly, Mottola and the PTO envision expanding community involvement, hosting events, and sharing harvests with local families.
“I would love to see more art in the Osborn Garden,” Mottola said. “And I want children to continue having the chance to cook with what they grow and explore hands-on experiences that connect them to nature.
“I am reminded every day of the difference this garden makes in their lives,” Mottola said. “And the joy they bring into mine.”
