School Garden Kits
Giulia is a teacher at LiHigh School, an independent school serving general and special needs students. Because of Shelter in Place, Lehigh had to quickly shift to remote learning and Guilia needed to find a new way to run the garden program. She decided to create garden kits for the students and delivered starter trays, soil, seeds, and instructions to their homes.
Giulia says:
Circles do not begin or end. They represent the infinite. The Universe. Us. A movement towards wholeness. The sun, the moon, our planet, the eyes we see everything through — all have this common shape that shapes us. Our LiHigh Garden this year is a circle made up of four quadrants and a colorful trellis in the center which will be vined with green peas and blue morning glory.
We have relocated for the time being to the valley of Northern Pawlet, near the Larson Farm, an organic farm which sells dairy products such as home-made gelato and “cream-top” milk. In times of distancing, this garden holds a sense of unity.
We are hopeful that this Summer will be spent with our students working in the garden, performing the rituals of weeding, watering, and harvesting, but we are still unsure of what is yet to come. As I tend the garden alone, I don’t feel alone at all. I am hopeful when planting these seeds and know that whatever decides to come up will be growing alongside others, in unity.
Seedlings sprouting and ready to plant in containers
Much of the garbage is not just tossed by thoughtless individuals, but also created by industrial pollution. But despite the enormity of the problem, many organizations and individuals are working hard to help reverse ocean and beach pollution. Each of us becoming more mindful and educating our children to pick up after ourselves is a good start. If you live near a beach there is likely a clean up group or event you can join. And you can always take a lesson from Salvo the Beach Keeper by taking a moment to pick up just a few items of trash whenever you visit a beach. It’s our collective mindlessness that has contributed to this issue, but it’s our small, collective, positive actions that can help shift the tide.
We have planted endless varieties of yellowstone and dragon carrots, purple dark opal and genovese basil for pestos, national pickling cucumbers, mammoth melting snow peas, iko iko rainbow peppers, indigo rose heirloom tomatoes, purple beets, costato romanesco zucchini for bread, calendula, autumn beauty sunflowers, cosmos, county fair zinnias … and the list goes on.
Food is meant to be shared. Everything we grow will be shared with our LiHigh Community. Although students are learning the ways of gardening from home and have already planted veggies for their own consumption in containers, raised beds, or in the ground, the food grown in our circle is for the unity of our community.
Our LiHigh circle garden prepared for the season of growing and learning
This 5 Good Deed Story was contributed by Giulia Rosenthal– Wells, Vermont