Big things are happening in the garden at Oak Grove School! As part of a larger project to reimagine the playground, with a focus of creating more opportunities for students to engage in nature-based play, the former garden area will transform into an orchard. An underutilized sunny space adjacent to the playground is now a new, larger garden space for the school community. 

The new garden features a perennial hedge of edible Aronia berries, an entry arbor for vining plants like watermelons and cucumbers, and new beds planted with greens, tomatoes, carrots, beets, beans, peas, flowers, and herbs. Oak Grove’s garden coordinator, Tara Gordon, spent the spring designing and planting at the school. In addition to the orchard and garden, she also updated perennial beds in front of the school with native plants and edibles. Her next project is to create a mushroom garden in another underused space on the north side of the building. 

The entire school community took part in the design process. Facilities manager, Greg Frost, worked closely with Tara on the project and will install a handwashing station in the garden to make it easier to garden with students in the summer garden program while following COVID-19 health and safety protocols for school gardens.