For the last 5 years, the high school garden has been a place for students to learn and experience how gardening is done. This year, one of the newest staff members, Mrs. Christina Menke, has assigned a project to her Environmental Science class to redo the garden that has been overgrown since the summer.
When Mrs. Menke was asked what type of project she was working on in the garden these last few days, she had this to say, “The Environmental Science class this year is taking on the project of fixing up the garden. Currently, the outdoor space that is located between the hallways of the high school is overgrown and full of weeds. I would like to turn this space into an outdoor science classroom, where we can take some of the things that we learn inside the classroom and apply it to this outdoor space.”
Before Mrs. Menke decided to take over, Mrs. Katie Borcherding was the original person behind starting the garden in the first place. When asked what made her start the garden, she said, “A few years ago, when the air conditioning units were installed in the courtyard area (now garden), I asked Mr. Hoener (then principal) if I could take over the space.”
Mrs. Borcherding continued: “The area was almost completely void of plants at the time. There were some hostas planted along the sidewalk and a Japanese Maple between the benches. My goal was to add plants to dye with (i.e. coreopsis), basketry (i.e. rattlesnake master prairie grass), perennial edibles (i.e. asparagus and blackberries), and some ornamentals for drawing and painting students to observe.”
Knowing that the garden not only helps the Environmental Science class but all of the other science classes, I asked some of the students in Environmental Science how they felt about what they were doing in class. Dalyla Hurst, a senior, said: “I feel like it is a good idea we are doing something good for the school.”
For this to even be considered a garden you need plants. Mrs. Menke and the students were asked what they would like to plant in the garden. Ariana Ribera and Andrew Lamke, both juniors, said they both wanted roses and sunflowers.
Mrs. Menke said she wanted “to see garden space designed by students to include a native planting garden (plants native to Missouri), a garden to attract butterflies, and a vegetable garden space. We could plant the seeds in the classroom and use those plantings for the garden space this spring.”
The garden not only helps Mrs. Menke with new lessons every day but helps students learn how to take care of the garden. With these new and exciting ideas and changes, the garden will turn out wonderfully, and new classes and students that come into New Haven will have an amazing view to look at as they walk the halls of New Haven High School.