Johnny Lombardi Public School

About our Garden

Please describe your garden, is it raised beds, in the ground, do you have a greenhouse?

Our school invested in purchasing caja planters and the materials required for the garden (seeds, soil, fertilizer). It is similar to a green house and can be moved from one area to another.

What vegetables/fruit do you grow in your garden? What do you have a difficult time growing in your school garden?

Peppers, lettuce, cherry tomatos and cucumbers. Because of the extreme heat this summer, it was difficult to water them daily and the cucumbers were not as successful.

Why did your school decide to add a school garden?

The Eco club and Kindergarten students were interested in learning more about vegetables and how they are grown. As a division and team, we decided we would create a school vegetable garden that can be used by all (to learn from, to eat, to make food etc...)

What classes participate in the garden, what subjects are taught in the garden?

Kindergarten classes and the Eco Team (primarily consists of students in Grade 3-5). We focused on Science and Math.

Who manages the garden day to day? Who manages the garden over the Summer break?

The eco club and kindergarten educators managed the garden on a day to day basis. Over the summer, the daycare staff took care of it. Next year, we will involve the school community more in watering the garden and taking off the vegetables (removing dead plants) .

What do you do with the harvest from your garden? Do you have a harvest celebration? Do you use it in the cafeteria, or culinary classes? Do you donate some of the produce?

Over the summer, parents and families were welcome to take the vegetables home to enjoy them. When back at school in September, a lot of Kindergarten students shared that they visited the garden and took tomatoes and lettuce home to enjoy.

Do you have community involvement? Do you have parents and volunteers? Have been able to source other funding to help your garden grow?

We would like to have more community involvement moving forward. As a new school, we are still growing and involving new families daily.

The Eco Club also raised money for the garden through a button workshop fundraiser. Students were invited to create their own button for $2.00.

What are your future plans for the school garden?

We hope to involve more students in the school garden beginning in September (from cleaning the garden/plants, perserving the fertilizer and soil etc..) and not just in the spring. We hope to use the vegetables in the school garden during lessons and special events.

Any words of encouragement/tips for a school starting a school garden?

It may seem like a lot of work but it is definitely rewarding! We loved getting students involved and loved seeing their reaction and faces when they could enjoy the fruit of their labour.