Growing up in a dense urban environment like Singapore meant that “gardening” as a recreational activity made rare, sporadic appearances in my childhood. It wasn’t until my move to California that I discovered the joy of eating a ripe cherry tomato fresh off the vine, a reward for fighting the endless battle with weeds and invasive blackberry bushes.
An avid home gardener and mother of two, Rita Jaworski and her husband cultivate eight vegetable beds in a 24-by-24-foot patch in their backyard. Her eight-year-old daughter enjoys the transplanting of young lettuces and tomato plants at the start of the season, while her younger son enthusiastically participates when Rita and her husband spend their weekends tending to the patch. It should come as no surprise then, to learn that she runs the Garden Club program at her children’s school, Carlton Elementary in San Jose’s Union School District. A total of 21 vegetable beds — 10 for kindergarten classes and 11 for elementary classes — were installed about a decade ago, tended to by a rotating roster of volunteer parents through the years.
Danielle Tsi
Rita assisting eager kids.
Said Rita, “One of the parents developed a curriculum of gardening activities — incorporating science and math aspects — a few years ago. I took over when she moved to Southern California and draw on her material for Garden Club activities, especially in winter when the weather’s cold and not a lot of growing happens.”
Danielle Tsi
The curriculum provides a flexible structure to guide what is essentially an open-ended lunchtime program. There are no exams to speak of, just the invitation to participate if and when the inclination hits. The Club runs weekly in the spring and fall sessions, and fortnightly in winter. Spring is filled with the excitement of turning the soil and planting peas, tomatoes and beans, while fall is a time to harvest the fruits of their work. In between there is the tedious task of weeding, which a child’s eager hands make quick work of.
“The kids just love the chance to play in the dirt,” Rita shared. “Last year we had a ‘Pick and Eat’ theme for the garden, so we planted vegetables that were easy to harvest and eat off the vine, like beans and tomatoes. This gave the kids a chance to know where their food comes from and to try new foods that they may not have tasted before.”
Danielle Tsi
My visit on a mid-February afternoon witnessed about 70 kids intently focused on decorating plastic water bottles that they would transform into hummingbird feeders at home, with their parents’ help and the aid of an instruction sheet which Rita prepared. On it were tips and suggestions on the best places to position a feeder and a simple recipe for nectar that would attract the birds.
Because she only has an hour with the kids, the program strives to develop an interest for gardening, while equipping them with simple lessons about nature and growing one’s food. It’s a tricky balance to achieve. To keep the excitement going while the 2012 winter garden took its time to flourish, she and her team of volunteer parents started a “Grass People” project in late January, handing out seedlings nestled in a half eggshell for kids to tend. Over a five-week period, they were tasked to nurture the seedlings, chart the growth of the grass and create stories and drawings about their assigned “Grass Person.” At the end, each child got a prize “just for participating.”
“I sort of fell into leading this program when the previous parent left. I really love to garden and I also enjoy seeing the enthusiasm of the kids when they help tend to the vegetable beds,” Rita said. “With the help of some amazing parents volunteering each week and the unfailing support of our principal, we’ve managed to keep this program going over the years, and hopefully for a long time to come!”
Danielle Tsi
A mural created by a team of volunteer parents and students.
“My goal with Garden Club is to get kids out of their comfort zone and to show them aspects of life and nature that they wouldn’t experience otherwise. Some kids don’t have a garden at home, and this is their only opportunity to nurture their interest for gardening. We have our regulars who come every week, and then there are those who come a few times and realize that it’s not for them, which is fine too,” she continued.
An early exposure to the intricacies of gardening, like digging the earth with bare hands, or learning about what the soil needs in order to deliver nutritious produce, will certainly help build the foundations of a healthy relationship to food. Couple that with a sprinkle of activities involving math, science and art, and gardening suddenly becomes a rich educational opportunity. What inspires your garden?
About the author: Danielle Tsi grew up in Singapore, a tiny, food-obsessed island on the tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, where every waking minute was spent thinking about what her next meal was going to be. Landing in the United States with her well-traveled Nikon, she turned her lifelong love affair with food into images and words on her blog, Beyond the Plate. When not behind the lens or at the stove, Danielle can be found on her yoga mat perfecting the headstand.
3 Featured Comments
Sign in to add your ownJess from volkerwandering says: Featured
I started a small vegetable garden at a residental home for elderly. They loved watching the watermelon grow and discussing the vegetables, a few even got in on the action! So young or small, gardens can bring joy!
1 year ago
Danielle Toronyi from biophiliadesigns says: Featured
As a landscape architect my focus is on edible landscapes and working towards ecological restoration through systems design. I appreciate Etsy and the author immensely for bringing attention to the edible schoolyard movement. Thank you! Its imperative to educate all generations about land stewardship, agriculture, and local history for the health and sustainability of our communities. Maybe through re-evaluation and re-design of our infrastructural systems we, as community participants, can establish regenerative, productive, green-tech organic-ag city/suburb hybrid places where the needs of humans, our habitat, our education systems and economy can thrive and produce. <<<check out the Greensboro Edible Schoolyard at their Children's Museum... several professors of mine have worked on designing and implementing their program.
1 year ago
facelessworld from facelessworld says: Featured
Never underestimate the lasting impact you'll have on those kid's lives. I remember sprouting a single bean in 1st grade and it was completely magical! Now I help my mom with her yearly weed war in the garden, and the results are always so worth it. Keep up the great work and many creative blessings to you!
1 year ago
63 comments
Sign in to add your ownRory Mosman from FeatherKeeper says:
This an excellent post. I always look forward to gardening with my children and have seen interest and understanding come to fruition the more time we spend getting our hands directly involved in the process. What a great way to educate our children about where our food comes from, healthy eating, the process of life, etc. the list could go on and on. Thanks for this.
1 year ago
ezliving from ezliving says:
Cool!!!
1 year ago
Sarah Meas from SweetMeas says:
Those paper seed faces are beyond crazy what an amazing idea. I love Heirloom seeds! Then I can save mine each year to use again. We have a community garden in my city. Sadly come the middle of the season it dries out and dies. I never understand why. It looks like a ton of work but after it gets growing nobody tends it? It's kinda like the city I live in people just don't seem to care.
1 year ago
iammie from iammie says:
Looks fun!
1 year ago
Shawn St.Peter from shawnstpeter says:
Love it!!!
1 year ago
Judith and Raymond from AnnaOliveDesigns says:
Wonderful. These children are so lucky to be able to take advantage of being the Gardening Club. They will no doubt make good food choices as they grow.
1 year ago
Megan from MegansMenagerie says:
Great post!
1 year ago
Phil Jackson from NuptialNotion says:
Very cool
1 year ago
NobleTextiles from NobleTextiles says:
What a great thing for these kids!
1 year ago
ACupOfSparkle from ACupOfSparkle says:
This is a great post considering how many kids are growing in big cities. Garden Club is a fantastic idea!
1 year ago
goodbeads from goodbeads says:
So lovely,very interesting,love them.
1 year ago
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage says:
Awesome post!
1 year ago
James Tocchio from JCTgoods says:
alright
1 year ago
Ever So Lovely from EverSoLovely says:
love this post!
1 year ago
jammerjewelry from jammerjewelry says:
Interesting article thanks for sharing
1 year ago
Judy from NimblesNook says:
I hope we learn from our mistakes and can continue to see the beauty and bounty of this land. ╔══╗ ╚╗╔╝ ╔╝(¯`v´¯) ╚══`.¸ IT ... Great Post
1 year ago
Jess from volkerwandering says: Featured
I started a small vegetable garden at a residental home for elderly. They loved watching the watermelon grow and discussing the vegetables, a few even got in on the action! So young or small, gardens can bring joy!
1 year ago
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat says:
I found this article fascninating because in my area school gardens have been around for a long time. I think m ost primary (elementary) schools have either a vegetable/fruit garden or a wildlife area, or even both. It's great to think the idea is being introduced to more urban areas though.
1 year ago
Sandra says:
I'm helping out at my son's school to get our garden up and growing. I'd love to know more about the curriculum that was developed for our 'garden club'. Is there anything you'd be interested in passing along? Sandra
1 year ago
Liudmila Rosario Ponko from PonkoWorld says:
LOve iT!!
1 year ago
Ive from MadeByIve says:
Excellent post. I love it!
1 year ago
Danielle Toronyi from biophiliadesigns says: Featured
As a landscape architect my focus is on edible landscapes and working towards ecological restoration through systems design. I appreciate Etsy and the author immensely for bringing attention to the edible schoolyard movement. Thank you! Its imperative to educate all generations about land stewardship, agriculture, and local history for the health and sustainability of our communities. Maybe through re-evaluation and re-design of our infrastructural systems we, as community participants, can establish regenerative, productive, green-tech organic-ag city/suburb hybrid places where the needs of humans, our habitat, our education systems and economy can thrive and produce. <<<check out the Greensboro Edible Schoolyard at their Children's Museum... several professors of mine have worked on designing and implementing their program.
1 year ago
Unique Fabric Gifts from uniquefabricgifts says:
Great article!
1 year ago
Hillary De Moineaux from VoleedeMoineaux says:
Nice!
1 year ago
Amber from BambuEarth says:
I can't wait to start a garden. Where my husband and I live right now, we don't have any space to plant a garden, but we will be moving within the month and I'm bubbling with excitement over it. I'm a sucker for herbs. Anything I can use to spice and season food really gets me going. The smell of fresh basil, rosemary or thyme wafting in from window box outside my (soon-to-be) kitchen window... I can smell it now... ♥♥♥
1 year ago
Keiki from SOKEIKI says:
So awesome! I love gardening with my kids!!
1 year ago
Alan Guditis from alswoodenwhims says:
Can't wait to get my garden going. Was always fun to have the kids helping Then planting and watching the plants grow. My favorite story was "Jack in the beanstalk". The kids would take daily measurments to see how well the pole bean plant was going. A round and round up and up. Then when the beans grew enough to pick the fun of hearing them snap as we filled to pot to cook. Now my kids are grown and now they to have there own gardens.
1 year ago
Enterprise Americana from EnterpriseAmericana says:
My four year old is the driving force behind our garden. I had never made it past the planning stages before she decided it was an all important event last year. She been talking about what we're doing this year already.
1 year ago
Stephanie Maslow Blackman from metalicious says:
What a lovely article, I love those hummingbird feeders! Recycling at it's most beautiful.
1 year ago
VaLon Frandsen from thevicagirl says:
One of my favorite memories as a child is working in the garden I had outside. My tastes have grown and I like having much more veggies than I ever did before.
1 year ago
liddy sopretty from liddysopretty says:
very cool!
1 year ago
Sylvie Liv from SylvieLiv says:
Makes me itch for some warm weather so I can go get my hands dirty in the garden! Thanks for the post!
1 year ago
Lee Qing Qing from LittleBlueMoon says:
Singapore! Well, it is true we are tiny and our land is scare. We do have sections of districts specially allocated to the tiny farming industry here. I am lucky to grow up in a 'Kampung' (village) before we were asked to shift to flats 20 years ago. So, I had my fair share of fresh coconut, rambutans, papaya and more...
1 year ago
pinksnakejewelry from pinksnakejewelry says:
Excellent Post!!!
1 year ago
glenda from glendalee says:
Thank you. As a stumbling gardener, I sincerely appreciate YOUR appreciation of what a garden gives.
1 year ago
Som from somsstudiosupplies says:
I have been fortunate to live and grow is a beautiful garden loving home. We tended to the plants with love and ate and shared the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor. I live in a concrete jungle now and miss the days of my childhood so much!
1 year ago
Donna Thai from PetiteCuisine says:
I love it. Definitely going to teach my little niece to love plants. I can't wait for spring to come so we can plant seeds again.
1 year ago
Vickie Moore from WingedWorld says:
I'm glad that these things are catching on. Although it's sad that schools have to make a special effort to teach kids about gardens. When I was growing up, everyone had a garden, and I'm not that old and grew up in Idaho — definitely not a place where people had gardens to try out an alternative, back-to-nature lifestyle. It was just part of practical, everyday life for working families.
1 year ago
IKA PARIS from ikabags says:
Great post!
1 year ago
Victoria Baker from LittleWrenPottery says:
I love gardening, I was introduced to it as a kid and I used to hunt worms with my Dad! I've always tried to grow fruit and veg thats suited to our difficult British climate.
1 year ago
Discord Vintage from DiscordVintage says:
What a meaningful idea.
1 year ago
Adriana Allen from adrianaallenllc says:
Now that is nice. Iam looking into gradening and I know it will be great fun if I can actually do that with my kid. I love the idea and will one day for sure put it to practice.
1 year ago
FreakyPeas from FreakyPeas says:
bravo!
1 year ago
Erika Iozsa from JasminBlancBoutique says:
way to go! awesome way and consciousness that children need to follow and grow up in. I spent my childhood, having a mini-garden within my grandparent's huge garden, where I planted some vegetables, and I still remember the feeling of being able to grow something and taste that vegetable which I took care of, watered and loved. We live in beautiful world and the realize this is the greatest revelation of all...
1 year ago
Andi Chrisman from acpaintedpages says:
Oh, I wish we had had a program like this when I was a child! Maybe I would have more of a green thumb!
1 year ago
Alexandra from BlueMoonLights says:
Great post! I fondly remember the memories of helping my grandfather in his vegetable garden when I was a kid. Gardening is such a great way to get kids involved and interested and teach them more than a classroom lesson sometimes can.
1 year ago
Megan Morris from MadebyMegShop says:
My mother always had a garden when I was growing up, as did her my grandmother, so gardening was definitely a part of my childhood. My mom never pushed it on me though, and I kind of wish she had taught me a little bit more of what she knows. I kill green things, for the most part. But I did start my own little garden last spring, and while not wildly successful, we did get some good, yummy veggies out of it.
1 year ago
AJ Marsden from OnlyOriginalsByAJ says:
Inspiring article! I remember growing up in Wisconsin we had a huge garden in the backyard with fresh strawberries, tomatoes, radishes, turnips, carrots, beans, etc. And I always would sneak a few fresh veggies every day. My grandma had an even larger garden with fresh blackberries and raspberries. We would always make a day of picking fresh fruits and my grandma made the most amazing jams. I now live in a city and I don't have the room to garden, but I make sure I get home every summer to sample my families goodies :)
1 year ago
facelessworld from facelessworld says: Featured
Never underestimate the lasting impact you'll have on those kid's lives. I remember sprouting a single bean in 1st grade and it was completely magical! Now I help my mom with her yearly weed war in the garden, and the results are always so worth it. Keep up the great work and many creative blessings to you!
1 year ago
Dotty Walker from SewThoughtfulBlanket says:
I love her attitude!
1 year ago
SilverPearDesigns from SilverPearDesigns says:
There is a great book on creating school gardens called How to Grow a School Garden. It would be great to get more schools involved with teaching kids where their food comes from.
1 year ago
Melanie Cuno from ImmortalPomegranate says:
OO- I love the idea of using an old waterbottle as a hummingbird feeder!
1 year ago
Jooni Jewelry from JooniJewelry says:
What a lovely idea!! (And the mural is so pretty!) It's good both for adults and kids. I wish our apartment complex could provide a gardening yard like that. Don't you think that would be great?
1 year ago
sandstormcreations from sandstormcreations says:
Love this post. So glad that more people are teaching kids about producing thier own food. How many kids these days actually know where their food comes from. Most will probably say the grocery store.
1 year ago
Ada Ada from idajewelry66 says:
Love it Very cool!!!
1 year ago
allisoneastmanbeads from allisoneastmanbeads says:
What a great program! I love to see people getting kids involved in growing their own food.
1 year ago
Ivonne from simpleeluxx says:
This such a neat school program ! This is how we can cultivate a healthier generation. Positive habits begin at a young age. I love this idea !
1 year ago
CHUCK AND ALISON SCATES from ACESFINDSSCENTSTIX says:
This is a great idea, and a wonderful post! We send our teenagers out to the garden before supper in the summertime to pick what's ready to eat for that meal. Even if they complain at first, there's something about picking your own food that always make them smile, and enjoy the meal more. I can't wait until summer! I think Rita is doing a super cool thing that takes a lot of time and effort. Good job Rita!
1 year ago
Anna Woehling from JewelsByAnna says:
nice
1 year ago
racheli varulker from purplefeatherdesign says:
LOVE IT!!!!! NICE POST
1 year ago
Jenny from TheLittleRagamuffin says:
I can think of nothing more joyful than the pure enthusiasm of a child pulling their first carrot from the soil, or seeing how broccoli grows. All of the children I ever taught in turn became teachers to me. Much thanks also for featuring my organic heirloom calendula seed in this beautiful piece.
1 year ago
Megan W. from 1littletreasureshop says:
Fantastic post! We can all learn a little something from this !
1 year ago
jodieflowers from jodieflowers says:
awesome and inspiring.
1 year ago