Osborn School Garden Blooms Despite Winter’s Chill

It may be winter, but the spring watch is already on at Osborn School, as students prepare plans and plants for April sowing in the school garden. Right now, the garlic cloves planted in September are coming along nicely. Apparently, all it takes to grow your own garlic is to plant an unpeeled clove flat side down and wait for spring.

By Sarah Varney

This kind of knowledge, along with a broad range of garden-based lessons tied neatly to the K-5 curriculum lie at the roots of the Osborn School Garden project. The program, directed by Anne Mottola, encompasses a main courtyard graced by frogs, fish, and a duck pond, that has been designated a National Wildlife Habitat. There are also several outdoor classrooms and nearly a dozen raised beds for planting, composting, and worm cultivation. Come spring, the raised beds will be sown with edibles such as mesclun, radishes, and beans. A berry patch is also on the wish list.

“As of December, every class has participated in the garden program,” said Ms. Mottola. Even now, several classes are nurturing seedlings inside that will be planted outside in a few months. One class is growing tiny lima bean plants in a sunny window and vermicomposting (indoor composting) is taking place in one classroom per grade.

In the next few months or so, Ms. Mottola will meet with teachers to plan spring plantings that will complement their in-class lesson plans. Since September, she has taught students about seeds, composting, the fall forest, evergreens in winter, and fall bird migration patterns.
The key is to let the kids get their hands dirty, she said. “Some don’t get a chance to dig in the dirt, or rake leaves because someone else usually does it. Even digging for worms can be fun and educational.”

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