Supporting schools to create productive, organic vegetable gardens.
Onerahi Playcentre
Mary is currently working at Onerahi Playcentre. The children have been watering the gardens, sowing seeds and planting.
Vegetable Gardening in Schools and Pre-schools
Mary is an experienced school garden teacher. She has taught every level from pre school to high school. In Christchurch Mary initiated the Kids Grow Futures vegetable gardening programme in Shirley, Christchurch. She also taught vegetable gardening at Aranui Primary School. Mary has also coordinated the Orchards in Schools programme .
The children of your school will learn to grow organic vegetables from seed and seedlings using local resources. The gardens will be luxuriant and a source of pride to children and community. Mary also teaches the preparation of produce harvested from the garden .
Your school garden is an outdoor classroom. The outdoor classroom enables children to explore the natural world at their own pace. Children of all ages find sheer joy in watching beetles, worms, butterflies, flowers and just being outside in garden
Respect for all living creatures is one of the first principles of natural learning. Respect for living creatures means observing. When children are allowed the time to watch how a worm moves or where a beetle goes, then they lose their fear of other living creatures and their fear is replaced by interest. Children learn to share the garden space with other creatures taking care to move gently around the butterfly and the plants that tumble out of the garden.
The design of your school garden is really important for its success. Designs need to vary with the age of the children. Pathways and access to the garden for children are critical. It is really hard to work in a garden if you can’t reach! There are many factors in the design of a school garden. Mary will come to your school and work with staff, parents and children to create together a beautiful useful garden that will be a centre of attraction. At Shirley Intermediate School the garden attracted visitors like a magnet.
The Purpose of Vegetable Gardening in Schools
The first purpose of Vegetable Gardening in Schools is to provide children the opportunity to observe the world with their own eyes and to directly engage in a natural environment.
The second purpose is to give children the skills to grow organically and prepare their own food. Our children will be more resilient if they know the basics of growing their own food.
The third purpose to to encourage children to taste fresh food. Children quickly learn how to hunt for snow peas or pluck a carrot. Children of all ages are amazed at the burst of flavour and sweetness from a freshly picked vegetable or fruit. It is a surprise for many that vegetables are sweet. Children who have been in the garden, see vegetables as tasty treats.
The fourth purpose is working together. Organic Vegetable Gardening works when we all work together. Children at Shirley Primary had grew 2 barrow loads pumpkins. It took three children working together to push and guide the barrow.
- Putting a tiny, hard seed in the ground and watching it grows is a magical process that completely engages children. “Look its taller than me now.”
- Children take pride in observing the unfolding world of the garden. Seeing the bee landing place on a broad bean or the ripening tomatoes. Is it ready yet?
- Sharing the produce with each other and their families is a moment of connectedness.
Learning method
Children come to the garden in small groups. A group of 6-8 is an ideal size. This provides each child plenty of opportunity to try new skills and practice them. In a small group, children can follow their interest. For example some children love watching bugs and beetles while others love digging and barrowing. Previous experience has shown that 45 minutes is the maximum lesson length.
The learning environment
- Hands on learning
- Experimentation is encouraged.
- Human realtionships are cooperative and appreciative.
- As children gain experience they are able to share gardening knowledge.
As an experienced teacher Mary is happy to take very small groups of children who have difficulty with classroom learning.
What the will children learn within the course of a year
Soil skills and knowledge
- Grown by our own hands.
- Understanding of the ecology of the soil through the Soil Food Web.
- Observation of the life in soil.
- Able to discover when soil is moist/wet/dry.
- Able to use mulch.
- Respect for the soil e.g. no standing on the soil.
- Able to walk on pathways.
Plant skills and knowledge
- Identify leaves, stems and roots on a plant.
- Identify the plants grown in the garden.
- Recogniss some herbs from sight and smell.
- Identify some weeds from sight and smell.
- Know the basic functions of a leaf.
- Know the basic functions of a flower.
- Observe flowers interacting with insects.
- Discover where the seeds are on a plant.
Growing skills
- Watering the garden.
- Able to transplant seedlings and hold them correctly.
- Able to form a seed drill in open ground.
- Able to plant seeds of different sizes.
- Able to sow seeds in a seed tray.
- Know that it takes time for plants to grow.
- Collect and harvest seeds.
- Identify when a plant is ready for harvest.
- Able to harvest correctly e.g. removing peas, courgettes.
- Able to weed around plants.
- Able to water plants.
Harvest
- Enjoy eating fresh food in the garden e.g. snow peas.
- Collect harvest.
- Prepare vegetables for eating.
Tools and technology
- Use hand tools correctly and safely.
- Finding solutions to problems e.g. supporting climbing beans.
- TUse a hose correctly.
- Mulch a garden using plant material at hand .
Social and cooperative skills
- Happily share the garden space with other creatures.
- Share tools and working area.
- Able to share harvest with others.
- Work cooperatively to complete a project e.g. planting seeds.
- Enjoy the garden.
Contact
Mary Tingey
Cell: 022 699 4143
Email: Enable JavaScript to view protected content.
