The furor over school gardens
The idea of school gardens has been much discussed lately. The cause is an article in the Atlantic claiming that school gardens are a waste of time, effort, money, space and everything else.
You can read the article here: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001/school-yard-garden
A thoughtful, well-written response is here:
http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2010/01/caitlyn-flanagan-demonstrate...
If you'd like to share your thoughts on school gardens or this dust-up, we would love to hear them.
--Steve Aitken, Editor, Fine Gardening
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It sometimes amazes me of the (post #16171, reply #1 of 14)
It sometimes amazes me of the extent people are driven by political movement. In which ever direction. My opinion is how could the lesson of growing things be harmful?
In the 70s, my middle school offered marksmanship, archery, Mua Sap'Vietnamese Bamboo Dance' and how to pilot a plane. Had it offered gardening I would have signed up!
I did sign up for all of the (post #16171, reply #2 of 14)
I did sign up for all of the extra curriculums available to students. I can hit my target and am fast on my feet but I crashed the plane. I grew up having to work in my grandfathers vegetable garden (huge straight rows dusk till dawn on weekends). And to this day I refuse to plant anything in a straight row.
Our next vegetable garden I'm thinking of the labyrinth design with lowest growing plants.
If you go with the labyrinth, (post #16171, reply #3 of 14)
If you go with the labyrinth, make sure you send us a picture.
I will do. It is a garden I (post #16171, reply #4 of 14)
I will do. It is a garden I have thought about for years. Not to get too personal but I have had many trials in my life. The first 42 years dealt out a lot of abuse, from childhood right into a very abusive marriage. My desire to nurture plants is what saved me and I do have a strong will to survive. Since 2002 I have been with a wonderful man. Just call him Bobby. He had known me for about 8 years before our connection and has stood by me through all the PTSD and bouts of anger and depression. God bless him. Anyway,I have paths in our gardens that work in sense like a labyrinth but I want to create the real thing. And I will.
My very kind and gentle (post #16171, reply #5 of 14)
My very kind and gentle husband.
Gardening intensely will do (post #16171, reply #6 of 14)
Gardening intensely will do much for your mental health. This is a much ignored aspect of gardening but if you read any gardening blogs, which I recommend you do, you'll see how often gardeners point out how good they feel when out in the garden.
Even working on my houseplants during the winter makes me feel calmer, less stressed.
I, too, am upset about the school garden misunderstanding, which I attribute to the program being run by people who don't garden.
When I volunteered as a Master Gardener this is one area in which we tried to do more: gardening in schools.
What becomes an obstacle is that the teachers already have so much to do in a day that they just can't take on another task. The administrations are also overwhelmed by mandates they cannot always meet, and of course they are mostly non-gardeners.
I really do wish we could help in the local schools by volunteering to help kids garden. One learns science, agriculture-where food comes from-; beneficial insects that must be nurtured; our place in nature, being patient; all the time being out there in the sunshine and fresh air!
My sanity is in question at (post #16171, reply #7 of 14)
My sanity is in question at times and life without gardening is unimaginable. Recently I have read a couple of garden blogs and totally enjoyed them.
You are so right about volunteer work. We all need to do our share when we can. That is a lesson in itself.
YIKES AND OUCH! HAD ONE OF (post #16171, reply #12 of 14)
YIKES AND OUCH! HAD ONE OF "THEM" IN MY SECOND MARRIAGE! I finally had to sick the FBI on the sob, to get him to quite threatening me, yes ladies and gents, twas death ones, ah well, since he was dumb enough to use the USA Mail System, the FBI did indeed take the case, went to his apt in Dallas, TX, two huge guys 1 of each color and said, in very deep voices, whilst flashing badges, "CEASE & DESIST, OR ELSE" I NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN, AH SUCCESS IS WONDERFUL! Meanwhile, back at the farm, or do I mean forum. This site seems to be getting better, but quite a lot of us, in fact, probably most of us old timers from the original Over The Fence have gone on over to Delphi Forums = Srpout Off!! Looks exactly like zee original Forum did, only run by our resident funnyman Dagwood, you're all welcome to come take a look, when you get to the man delphi page, just type in srpoutOFF and up the link shall pop for ya! I see no reason why we can't all do both???? We miss an awful lot of folks over here, but we're not trying to ask you to give up anything; nor to be disloyal!! Does anyone know how to get in touch w/ASTRID in NM?????? I'm trying to see how she's doing??? We used to chat all the time, in the original forum, don't cha know??? MANY THANKS, BEST WISHES AND HAPPY LANDINGS!!! REBECCA from Tucson, AZ
live, laugh and love your (post #16171, reply #13 of 14)
live, laugh and love your style Rebecca! Ditto on using both forums as I do and will continue to do so. The use of gardening as a tool in the classroom makes much more sense than say some other things offered.
Thanks a lot for the kind of (post #16171, reply #8 of 14)
Thanks a lot for the kind of perfect topic about this topic. It’s good to buy an essay about e okul this good topic. I Write a good article. Thank you. I'm still waiting for this kind of writing you would always güzel sözler follow. I hope you'll continue to write articles of this aşk sözleri type. But I can not enjoy this beautiful, sometimes in e okul writing. Difficult to reach your site. Ilgilenirmisiniz with this issue. Waiting for your interest in other articles. In the meantime, I'm trying to improve my English version if you excuse e-okul me if I have errors. wish you good work.
If you read what Flanagan (post #16171, reply #9 of 14)
If you read what Flanagan wrote you get the impression that only the child of the immigrnats went out to the garden and worke and that was all that his school day consisted of. Any person of reasonable intelligence will know that is not right and anyone of us that has worked with school garden prograns will know that Flanagan has no idea what she is writing about. It is unfortunate that a magazine that I considered edited by fairly normally intelligent people printed that article, even though people like Flanagan do deserve the chance to express their ideas, no matter how wrong.
The sign of a good gardener is brown knees, not a green thumb.
my mother was a diatician, I (post #16171, reply #10 of 14)
my mother was a diatician, I grew up during WW11, gardening those long rows with my mother, to supply good fresh food to her family. Corn? beefsteak tomatoes, lettuce, name it, we grew it, picked it and ate it , never have tasted food so good since, and I'm a good cook!. My children both have extensive gardens, one has substantial organic vegetable garden, the other a great kitchen garden. Never short on fruits, veggies, herbs, etc.
As a child I spent my .10 allowance for a package of flower seeds every spring, watered them diligently for a few weeks, weeded, etc., then went off and forgot them. They died.
I still plant seeds and am not good about it, but I have a fantastic garden, well maintained, that keeps me sane.
Once, when my husband complained because I wasn't readfy to enjoy a cocktail with him, I told him every weed I pull is one less hair out of your head. He will be 80 in a month, he still has a full head of hair, and we both enjoy my 3/4 acre garden in the woods in northern Calif.
my daughter in law, who (post #16171, reply #11 of 14)
my daughter in law, who teaches science and mathematics, to her 5th grade class, also teaches an enrichment gardening program at her school...on her own time.... she has the school gardener helping to maintain between sessions. I supply her with bulbs in the spring., she gets seeds from a couple european seed exporters who try to cultivate seeds to grow in our area.
Her class is the first enrichment class filled every semester. The kids love it, their parents love it., many of them are immigrants, their parentsw speak poor english, but oh boy,. what they learn together!
All children should have access to after school programs., too many go home and sit in front of their computer, or are bored, so go looking for trouble.
What a patronizing person! (post #16171, reply #14 of 14)
What a patronizing person! Thanks for the sites for both articles. The second one made a mistake, I think, in characterizing Flanagan as one of the most stupid people she'd ever met: that argument is ad hominem and name-calling does not ever make the case. Beside that, reading the article will convince quite a few people that Flanagan lacks a few necessary human qualities. Otherwise, the comeback was a very good one - I hope it receives as wide coverage as Flanagan's did.
Northern Virginia, Zone 7A.