A Boy and His Garden

Recently, eleven-year-old Duncan came to School Meeting to request space at school to create a garden plot where he could grow vegetables and fruit. (Duncan's enthusiasm for plants has also led him to take up bonsai.) He and staff had already identified an area at the east end of the former peacock pen as a spot with good sun exposure, away from running, crushing feet. He requested that School Meeting permit him and his dad, Tod, to weed, dig and amend the soil in the plot. Duncan invited other School Meeting members to help him care for the garden and share in the harvest.

School Meeting unanimously approved Duncan's proposal, granting him authority to oversee volunteers and decide when and how much people can pick. Several students at School Meeting were intrigued by the garden project; one student brought seeds for Duncan the next day.

Soon after Duncan's garden was approved, he and his dad worked to loosen the compacted soil, digging out the weeds and adding compost to increase the soil's fertility.

Duncan and his garden

Over Spring Break, Duncan and Tod planted seeds and some strawberry plants. They planted seeds of snow peas, green beans, Swiss chard, lettuce, carrots and cucumbers.

Blooming strawberries

Soon, we will start to see seedlings emerge and watch the magic as the little plants absorb the sun's energy, and create many leaves and stems and eventually fruit. I'll document the growth of the garden over the next few weeks, so be sure to check in and watch everything grow.

The plot with row indicators