Making progress!!!

We finally have a plan! We have been working hard to figure out just exactly how we will make this unused space a place for play, discovery, reflection and beauty. Low and behold our plan. Not only do we have this plan, but we are making headway on it! Last weekend the Montclair Dad's Club came and worked hard to help dig irrigation trenches (HARD WORK), place the tables, and refine our garden entrance. We are making friends with our neighbors and making sure our new space will not affect them. Next up, we will build two more planter boxes, plant a vines and lattice for a privacy screen for our neighbors, secure the picnic tables and secure 20-25 stumps for our outdoor seating areas. If you have friends or neighbors or members of your community that have access to good tree stumps (about 18 " diameter) please bring them to our new space (the area north of the Ottertorium).

Another garden work day is coming soon...we are hoping to have the space usable for the spring, when our outdoor space becomes limited because of the construction. Which means we have a good amount of work to do... we'll make it fun though! come join us! We'll be reaching out soon.

For now we are calling this space the Garden Annex...

Welcome to The Garden!

Thanks to our parent volunteers who rallied last minute to help beautify the area in front of the school with new plants and mulch. It looks wonderful! We are transitioning the new temporary garden behind/north of the Otterttorium. If you'd like to be involved in the Montclair Garden Group, please contact pilarariella@gmail.com. Our next school work day is Saturday, October 1, 9am - 12noon. This will be a Dads' Club workday, but we will try to get some momentum on the gardening too! Kids are welcome, there will be a project they can help out with, or they can play on the playground.

The Garden program is a volunteer-based garden program that was established over ten years ago. Our program is 100% volunteer-based, which means we rely on you to help to provide our students with a beautiful and inspiring garden program. Our program is an in-class and in-garden program where we learn about seed sowing, planting, harvesting, life stages of plants, plant anatomy, insects and so much more!

Where is the garden?
Good question. We are in a unique position right now where our school is growing and we are in the process of developing a new garden site annex outside our auditorium (Ottertorium). This garden will be established and maintained to work in concert with our amazing new garden to be built on the upper school in 2013.

How can you help?
We are in the process of re-organizing our gardening program, and we will roll out all of the many ways you can help soon...STAY TUNED!
In addition, we will have volunteer garden work days once a month. Swing by for some coffee and dig in for an hour or two!

The Garden (MES) needs a wheel barrow + some large watering cans + any other old gardening tools!
If you have a wheel barrow that is collecting dust, we could put it to GOOD use!!! In addition, if you have some old larger-sized watering cans, or older gardening tools (trowels, etc.) we could really use a couple of hoses. Thank you MES families for your amazing support! Please contact pilar strutin-belinoff at pilarariella@gmail.com if you have any of the above items!

Pilar Strutin-Belinoff
Lauren Disston