School gardens flourishing in the valley

Experts preach the benefits of fresh air, sunshine and exercise as part of every child’s daily life. In Sonoma, schools have picked up on the research, even carrying it into the curriculum by making time for outdoor activities. One of the best ways to accomplish this – gardening.
“Gardening is great exercise, “said Rebecca Bozzelli, garden manager at the Sonoma Garden Park. “It burns calories, reduces blood pressure and lowers stress levels. It’s good for both children and adults.”
Flowery Elementary is perhaps the best example of a curriculum-based school garden. Kate Ortolano is a former Flowery parent who is now the school’s garden coordinator. The Flowery PTO funds the garden, including Ortolano’s salary, to the tune of $9,000 per year. “This is where our PTO puts its money, so the garden is incorporated into every aspect of our curriculum, including language arts, math, science and culture,” said Ortolano.
At Flowery, each class has its own plot where the students plant and tend vegetables and flowers. Parent volunteers water, weed and harvest throughout the summer and the corporate sponsor, Walsh Vineyard Management, oversees irrigation and other related issues.
Ortolano uses an electric skillet on an outdoor teaching deck to quickly sauté veggies for immediate consumption. “We plant kale, artichokes, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, celery, you name it. The kids love planting, harvesting and eating the food,” said Ortolano.
Woodland Star’s garden is also used as part of the curriculum. It is the third grade class that is responsible for starting and planting seedlings, nurturing the plants and harvesting the fruits and vegetables that the entire school enjoys. The students grow all different kinds of crops including wheat and grains. They also learn composting. During the summer, the garden is cared for by a rotating group of volunteers.
The garden at El Verano Elementary is only about a year old and was a barren wasteland until principal Maité Iturri brought it up at a PTO meeting. Mario Castillo, parent and PTO vice president, jumped on the idea of creating a garden.
“The area was a mess and it was dangerous for the students,” said Castillo. “We got some estimates on what it would cost to turn it into a garden but they all far exceeded our budget.”
Instead, Castillo gathered parent volunteers and went to work. They toiled afternoons clearing debris and unwanted vegetation. Next they designed the garden. Finally, they got to plant vegetables and flowers. Students planted cucumbers, cabbages, salad greens, herbs, zucchini, and other interesting seeds they brought from home, like watermelon.
Students water and tend to the garden during school hours as well as afterward. A rotating schedule ensures that the area is looked after during the summer. There is even a butterfly habitat, featuring plants that encourage the winged beauties to feed.
By his own admission, Castillo is a man who likes to help. “It is in my nature to try and create a better future for my two girls, Alexis and Abigail, as well as other children,” said Castillo. “Seeing the transformation of this school garden is a realization of that idea.”
School gardens are an important part of the landscape in Sonoma, and most of the schools make an effort to grow a little something. Dunbar Elementary has planter boxes that they keep planted and watered with colorful flowers. Sassarini Elementary plans to start a garden in the near future.
At Prestwood Elementary, a parcel at the back of the school property is used by teachers and students to nurture a wide variety of plants. Run by parent volunteers and students, the garden has different plots for each class as well as an elevated area for teaching. In good weather, the garden is often used as a respite for mentors and their mentees or for small groups of students wishing to read or study. In years past, the garden has been used as a bucolic setting for an annual thank-you lunch for the teachers.
So big or small, it seems that gardening is an important educational tool in Sonoma Valley and one that teachers, and students, take seriously, while having a whole lot of fun.