As spring planting season gets underway, students at New Hope-Solebury Upper Elementary School (UES) are getting their hands dirty, literally!
Fifth graders in the school’s Garden Club are learning how to plant vegetables, maintain garden beds and understand the science behind what grows in the soil; lessons that garden club advisor Peter Nelson hopes will last far beyond the school year.
“It’s so rewarding seeing them outside enjoying themselves,” said Nelson, a fourth grade teacher who took over the club this year. “Then they can see the results of those plants sprouting in the next month or so, and to see their excitement of, ‘Look what we did! We grew this!’”
The voluntary after-school club, now in its fourth year, has become especially timely as families begin spring gardening projects at home. Before students planted a single seed this spring, however, their first task was restoring the garden after the winter months.
“At the beginning of the year, the garden needed to be cleaned,” Nelson said. “That’s what we did first; we cleaned up that garden, pulled out the weeds, pulled out the old vegetables.”
Students learned how to properly prepare the soil before planting new crops, including turning over the soil and maintaining the garden beds.
“You just don’t take the soil and throw something back there,” Nelson said. “You have to prepare it.”
Part of that preparation included maintaining a compost pile using dead plants and leftover fruit and vegetable scraps from the school cafeteria, including apple cores students do not eat. The composting process, Nelson explained, gives students a firsthand understanding of sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Over the past several weeks, students have moved from cleanup to planting vegetables both indoors and outdoors.
“Three weeks ago we did indoor planting because it’s been so cold,” Nelson said. “We planted at least 35 seeds of six different vegetables that have been growing indoors, and we just started planting them in the ground.”
This season’s crops include tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots and corn. Many of the plants were first started indoors so students could monitor their growth before transplanting them outside.
The club’s work extends beyond simply planting seeds. Nelson said students are learning responsibility and patience while helping maintain the garden’s five to six raised beds.
On top of gardening basics, the lessons also connect directly to classroom learning. This year, the school introduced science as a special subject, giving Nelson opportunities to coordinate lessons with science teachers and reinforce concepts through hands-on gardening.
“We try to incorporate the learning, especially the science learnings,” Nelson said. “I can reinforce the science of nature and gardening and what it does and how it’s helpful and beneficial.”
Nelson hopes to expand those lessons further by adding more flower beds dedicated to pollination. Native flowers and pollinator-friendly plants could help attract insects while teaching students how ecosystems work together.
For Nelson, the club’s greatest impact may be the confidence and sense of ownership students develop while growing something themselves.
“Everyone learns a little differently, but I think hands-on is always great,” he said. “If they participate in digging the holes to put flowers in, it’s something they remember. They go home feeling proud.”
Some students have already taken vegetables and flowers home to continue gardening with their families.
Nelson said he often receives photos from his nature club students during the summer proudly showing off plants that continue to grow long after school ends. He hopes to receive that same enthusiasm from his garden club students this summer.
“That sense of accomplishment that these kids get to see as these plants get bigger is great,” he said.
The club also aligns with one of the district’s broader educational goals: global responsibility and environmental awareness.
“One of our graduate goals is global responsibility and taking care of our planet,” Nelson said. “That ties into the garden club.”
In addition to gardening skills, students are learning cooperation, planning and long-term commitment.
“A garden doesn’t grow overnight,” Nelson said. “If you keep working on it, here is the end result. That’s a lesson that carries over into education and life.”
Looking ahead, Nelson hopes the club will continue expanding. He hopes to invite students from additional grade levels to participate in the future and is exploring partnerships with local organizations that could benefit from harvested vegetables, including area food banks and community groups.
The club is also considering future plant sales or community giveaways to encourage more local families to garden at home.
“I’m hoping this garden club can be a stepping stone for future gardeners,” Nelson said. “Maybe their family says, ‘Next year let’s do our own bigger garden.’”
