As part of The School District of Palm Beach County’s Food Services Community Garden Team initiative, partners Joseph P Cory Foundation (Nada Cory) and UF/IFAS Extension (Carlita Fiesta Nunez), prepared and presented “How to Close Down your School Garden” on May 13th. It was very timely, as many gardens are doing just that to insure all the work put forth during the school year, was not in vain: most plants do not stand a chance with the summer’s heat.
In short, if you plan and plant a school garden, in conjunction with the School Gardens Guide, overseen by student wellness coordinator, Jeannine Rizzo (food services), you will set yourself up for success. The new informative PPT presentation, has brought the school gardening cycle full circle, and the Joseph P Cory Foundation, in conjunction with Hammock Pointe Elementary, a “Garden of Hope” site, shows you just how it is done!
When students, “Gardens of Hope” teacher/sponsors (Holly Nilsen and Cari Gallagher/others), Principal (Stephanie Cook) and volunteers arrived on campus, they were presented with a fully overgrown garden they had planted, cultivated, harvested and had gone to seed. Following PPT guidelines, the final result: A weeded, cut back, picked, tarped, mulched, secured, along with the addition of covered pathways. Lumber was laid out to form the future garden boundaries of a new fenced perimeter on order, but could not completed due to the present lumber shortage.
It was a great day all around, with the fastening of the school’s new “Garden of Hope” signage, and enough tomatoes and peppers to make some nice cool gazpacho for lunch!
Visit our social media channels and website to find how you can apply for our Gardens of Hope grant, or to DONATE TO EDUCATE.
School Gardening Guide:
https://www2.palmbeachschools.org/annualreport/sfs-pdf/School%20Garden%20Development%20Guide%208-14-2014.pdf
Hammock Pointe Garden Closing Photo link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yhejjku1048wvbq/AADM6oD6jU28CPF_Akm8M7L7a?dl=0
