In sight, in mind

            Liz and I arrived at Campbell park for our 11:00-1:00 shift for the first time today. Since this garden hasn’t established a schedule with the teachers yet, we had been previously moved around to other gardens with classes on Mondays, so I was really excited to see what this one would be like. I was so surprised to see it directly adjacent to the parking lot as we drove up to the front entrance. All of the other gardens require you to go through multiple doors, hallways, and gates to finally get to them, but this was right there as you walked up. My first reaction was, “This is odd, it looks like it is right in the parking lot”, but as we worked I began to love the set up. Whether this was done intentionally or out of logistics, I think that it is a great idea to have the garden be the first thing people see when the come to school. It provides exposure to the kids that may not get to interact in it and to the parents who may not be aware of it. I think that the unhidden presence of this garden will spark a sense of awe, curiosity, and interest in all who pass by it.

            Last week the first plants were set in the soil, and so far most of them seem to be feeling right at home. We oriented ourselves to the layout of the garden as we watered it and began to learn all the different vegetables and flowers artistically scattered within it. One of the coolest parts about this garden is the design. We couldn’t quite figure it out at first, but then Robin informed us that it represents the stitching on a baseball since the Peace Patch received so much help and funding from the Rays Baseball Foundation. It will be interesting to see if the kids will be able to pick out this design as they learn and work in the garden. I am very excited and proud to call this my classroom every Monday for the next couple months! 

Colby

(more pictures coming soon!)