Program taking root, blossoming

From the first seed planted in the spring to fall’s harvest, residents at Anne Carlsen Center for Children are reaping many benefits from a gardening program that is in full bloom.

It began as a seedling idea by a few teachers nearly six years ago. Today, three garden spaces, numerous flower beds and accessible planter beds are ripe with colorful blossoms and fresh vegetables.

Teachers fully incorporate gardening into their classroom curriculums and all residents have the opportunity to enjoy the gardens.

“My philosophy is that every child should have the chance to feel the dirt between their toes or fingers,” said teacher Mary Lewis.

“This is a lifelong activity,” said teacher Corby Maddock. And there is a component of gardening that fits each child’s interest or ability, he said, whether it’s planting seeds, pulling weeds, watering them, or picking vegetables off the vines.

“There isn’t really anything else that incorporates such multi-sensory benefits,” said Lewis. Children who can’t see the plants can touch and taste them. The pickiest eaters will find at least one type of produce they enjoy tasting, she said.

The variety of textures in the leaves and vegetables introduce an array of physical sensations to children who are often limited to similar experiences because of their disabilities.

One of Lewis’s students recently told her, without saying a word, just how much he enjoyed the garden and validated for her its importance to the children. The young man was experiencing a lot of back pain and had difficulty engaging in classroom activities.

Finally, after days of rain, it was nice outside and Lewis asked him if he wanted to go to the garden. They went to the corn patch, where the wind was rustling the corn stalks and the leaves of the stalks were brushing against his face. A smile came over him and he seemed to relax.

“It doesn’t mean his pain went away, but he was in a place that made his discomfort tolerable,” she said.

There are many educational benefits incorporated into the gardening program.

Math skills are used when children count out the seeds as they are planting them.
Literacy activities are built around the garden as the classes read stories about the plants they’re growing and write home about how their gardens are progressing.
HomeEc activities turn their garden greens into meals, whether it’s vegetable side dishes, salsa or zucchini cakes.
Social skills are built when students sell their fresh vegetables to Center staff and families.

With momentum for the gardening program at a high, plans are being made to build a solarium so the children can enjoy the benefits year-round.

“Because the kids face disabilities that often limit their experiences, the things we can do for them are even more important,” said Lewis. “The more we can extend to them of what God’s world has to offer, the better.”