Growing Gardens and Gardeners at Coosa Elementary School

How we are Ensuring the Faculty and Staff are Knowledgeable
This project came to fruition as a result of assistance provided by Amy Dabbs with Clemson Extension. Together, she and her colleagues advised us on everything from the materials needed to professional development about gardening. In fact, 38 faculty and staff members participated in an on-line gardening course provided through Clemson Extension. The comprehensive curriculum provided us with numerous resources and videos to instruct us on how to be successful gardeners in our climate. As a bonus, our teachers received a book, The Garden STEM, filled with interactive grade-level lessons, along with games, read-alouds, and other materials to support instruction in the classroom. Our goal is to grow fruits and vegetables year-round based on Clemson’s Seasonal Planting Guide and Calendar for School Gardens.

Purpose of the Garden and Educational Benefit
Our goal as a school is to seek authentic ways to academically challenge and engage students in the learning process. With the gardening initiative, the South Carolina College and Career Readiness Standards are targeted across all grade levels in a relevant and meaningful way through hands-on and engaging lessons. Starting with the 2021-2022 school year, fourth grade students also will be involved in the Junior Master Gardener Program under the direction of Meghan Barkley, 4-H Extension Agent. We’re certain students will remember the lessons they’ve learned from gardening for years to come.

What we Plan to do with our Garden
Students will plant and harvest fruits, vegetables, and wildflowers on a rotating basis. In fact, over a three-year period, students will have planted, harvested, and tasted all items in the garden! The remaining produce will be donated to HELP of Beaufort, a local food bank that assists locally with food insufficiency.

The garden will also feature wildflowers grown from seed, so students can learn about the life cycle of a plant. Once the flowers are ready to be picked, they’ll be placed in vases and delivered to the Retreat at Lady’s Island to be placed in the rooms of the faciity’s residents.

This project would not be possible without Clemson Extension, Coosa’s students, faculty and staff, business partners, and the support of our Bobcat families.

The Garden Will Consist Of The Following:
• Sixteen 4’ X 4’ planter boxes
• 8′ X 12′ greenhouse
• Outdoor classroom for instruction
• Wildflower Garden
• Fruit Trees

Donors
Concrete: Lowcountry Concrete
Greenhouse: ERA Evergreen Real Estate (Constructed by Hugh and Caroline Nichols)
Planter boxes: Home Depot
Mulch: Southern Tree Service (chipped tree mulch)
Organic Plant Mix: Martin Landscape
Site Design/Construction of Planter Boxes: Gordon Ivey (Prior Student, Boy Scout)
Fertilizer/Mulch for Interior Beds: Pender Brothers Investments Beneficiaries
The Retreat: Flowers in all rooms for the holidays
Help of Beaufort: Harvested fruits and vegetables