Special Gardeners

"Along with milk and vegetables, kids need a steady diet of rocks and worms.  Rocks need skipping.  Holes need digging.  Water needs splashing.   Bugs and frogs and slimy stuff need finding."  *

 Even though I am pastoring Jesus' Deaf Church on a full time basis, I am thrilled I still get to plug into St. Peter's Anglican School as the "Garden Teacher".  On Wednesday and Friday afternoons, each of the four special education classes get a 30 minute lesson in the school garden. This week we were planting.

 Digging in the dirt and touching the young plants gently gives each child a hands on opportunity to interact with nature.  Aiden, who is "all boy" and loves rough and tumble stuff, was focused on carefully and gently placing the habenero pepper plant in the hole he dug. It's precious beyond words to see his keen interest in nurturing the garden plants.

 Julius broke up the soil and placed it in the garden flat.  He enjoyed feeling the lumps and crumbling them into the holes.

 Omarion is concentrating on planting the lettuce seeds.  With his teacher's encouragement, he is trying to plant just two little, tiny seeds in each hole.

Next we water, trying to water the roots and not the leaves.  Isn't amazing how careful the children are?  

 

This is where we plant flowers.  There will be tall zinnias in back and marveillos in front.  When the flowers die, the children will save the seeds and sell them in small bags to raise money to buy more seeds and benefit the special education program at our school.

Alejandro is a graduate of St. Peter's Deaf Program.  He is now working at the school in yard maintenance.  By digging up the entire garden with a spade and removing the weeds, he made it much easier for the children to dig and plant.  He is such an asset to the school. I'm thankful for him.

*The quote at the top of the page is from an RVing advertisement...Ha!