Get a garden + the Ranger program in your school now. We have built over 100 in Los Angeles. We move rapidly. We take care of the permits. We make it ridiculously affordable. We are frugal. We can take on existing gardens and we know how to fix things.
You want your group volunteer day to actually mean something? You want lasting impact? We are so busy, we can guarantee almost any date you choose. You want to see results.
HUMANS
It is easy to help out. We are in 100 Los Angeles schools weekly and we care for our 100 gardens 332 days per year. If you want to help , we will put you to work. We are growing so rapidly that no matter what you have to offer, we likely need your talents. Engage today. Volunteer tomorrow.
For Our Garden Rangers
SCHOOL GARDENING?
OUR VALUES
With Dia de los muertos having just passed and the release of the movie Coco last year, most kids recognize marigolds–or maravillas in Spanish. (I quote the movie Coco, telling kids, “you know those yellow flowers, ‘I give you my blessing.’ Those flowers.”) They’re the focus of more than one gardening lessons. For one, marigolds…
Starting with the roots, we learn about Parts of a Plant from the ground up. Using our Garden Scientist skills, we first sketch and label our parts, including function. Then, we put our creative skills to the test and make our plants, with their four main parts, out of pipe cleaners. Once we…
Do you know what a watershed is? This lesson put the water and food cycle into a larger context, and together, each class added to a lifesize drawing of a watershed. Definition: An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to difference rivers, basins, or seas. We all started with a handout…
This week at St. Patrick’s School, the littles came out to learn all about the hard working and sometimes pesty creatures in the garden. We discussed the reason insects flock to gardens by using our three Ps, predators, pollinators and pests. The kids played an aphid and ladybug game of tag and helped me…
Hello again! Sherman Oaks is getting green, and red… yes red, because radishes are here! We just made our first harvest! To start, we based our experiment on questions like: “What the soil is made of?” “What grows in soil?” and “Who needs it in order to live?.” We started to work in different samples…
Hello everyone! This month we did tons of fun things! We started with some cool lessons about how a flower grows. We went through each part (roots, stem, leaves, flower and maybe after a fruit). Also we built our own colorful flower with some recycled paper and pom poms! And just not that! There is…
We’ve had a wonderful few weeks at Frank Del Olmo Elem. I’ve received a new rotation of students who were just as jazzed to be in the garden as the last rotation. After a few classes of clearing out summer beds and planting winter veggies, today we dug deep into the science of decomposition. Specifically,…
This week at Valley View Elementary the kids took advantage of the cool and crisp weather out in the garden. The first graders used their five senses to describe plants in their journals. They are wonderful little writers…my favorite descriptive word was “rumbly” to describe the texture of a leaf. Kinders learned about the…
The Jefferson school garden got a makeover this summer by the magic of EnrichLA. Over 10 new redwood planter boxes were installed along with a drip irrigation system, shade sail and chalkboard for the teaching space! I am so excited to be their new Garden Ranger, teaching garden classes once a week and maintaining all…
This month at Bryson, I’ve been emptying out the tumbler composter, so that kids can see decomposition at work as well as actively work the compost. Students have been turning the pile with a pitchfork to introduce oxygen to the pile and feeding the pile “Browns” and “greens.” After an initial watering, the compost has…
I had been looking for a way to introduce hands-on creativity during garden class. This week, at Utah St. Elementary, my lesson included teaching producers and consumers. Two of my classes consisted of ETK students or pre-preschoolers. We discussed what effect the sun has on plants, where plants draw their energy from, what eats plants…
Between Westlake (McArthur Park) and Downtown LA you’ll find Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, a high school made up of several ‘sub’ schools. One of them, the Academic Leadership Community or simply ALC. The after school garden group meets every Tuesday from 1:30-3PM in a small but oh so mighty garden overlooking downtown. From day one,…
Curious Yorkdale Bean Sprouts
First Graders are kinda like little bean seedlings, sprouting creativity and eager to learn, reaching for warm autumn sun, putting their roots deep into the soil, their embryo coat burst with curiosity of gardening germinating rainbow colors in pages of their garden journals. Utilizing their 5 senses, they listen to hummingbirds, two finger touch fuzzy…
It’s a pleasure to be back in the garden with Kester Elementary after a long summer away! So many treasures were awaiting us to explore, like a hiding watermelon, banana peppers, and a giant zucchini! A review of the Garden Rules, like Respect for all living things, 2-Finger touch, walking feet, asking before picking…
Our friends at KIPP Comienza had the opportunity to use all of their senses in the garden this month; to learn about and respect all critters that call the garden their home; and how the world around us affects the plants we grow. Students have been bringing their science journals to the garden space this…
Looking for friends or foes in the garden today. We came across hiding in the beautiful green foliage of the our tomatoes a hungry hungry caterpillar. Actually the tomato Hornworm camouflage itself in the green foliage on the tomato leaves. Once the students found the ones the size of a thumb they searched and found…
Fried Green Tomatoes anyone?? Today we had to lay our tomato “tree” to rest… Upon learning the difference between determinate and interdeterminate plants, we got a chance to see the growth of a 4 month old interdeterminate tomato which was taking over the whole garden plot with it’s bushy and lush green leaves and unripe…
Summer took its toll on the Alta Loma garden. Vines died off, weeds piled up, and gargantuan rosemary bushes ate the sprinkler heads (thus the dead vines….). But the courtyard garden in the middle of the school was still inviting, especially after we gathered some wood tables and a discarded chalkboard under a friendly…
Students at Gardner put in great work in their experiments, observations, and presentations this month! The 5th graders made presentations on their nature boards with a map of the garden and fun facts about the animals and plants found in the garden. The 4th graders observed, learned, and made presentations on plants they were unfamiliar…
TIOH 1st grade students kicked off their garden classes learning how many plants are seasonal and we saw firsthand, that plants will die without water. We removed all plants that were dead or out of season and harvested some onions that were ready to come out to make room for new fall/winter plants. The 5th…
We’ve aloud our sunflowers to “cure” on the stalk, giving the appearance that there is no life left whatsoever. . A great giant sunflower head’s secrets are revealed once the dried petals and organic matter is peeled back and brushed away.. Lo and behold, a sequence of seeds which contain life to a new generation…
We harvested seeds [Bush beans] from our very own Van Ness garden that we allowed to go to seed. Learning about the anatomy of the seed we talked about how a seed starts off with all that it needs in the seed itself to start out life, a seed coat, food storage and embryo or…
Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors. Eating as many colorful fruits and veggies is a challenge for students and adults. Colorful fruits and vegetables help prevent health issues and make the immune system stronger. Students learned that vegetables and fruits are classified into 5 colors: blue/ Purple, green, red, yellow/orange, white/brown. The color protects fruits…
October 16, 2018 was a big day at Hamlin Charter Academy. The irrigation system in the new garden has been successfully fine-tuned, and our seeds are starting to germinate in numbers to be proud of. It was thrilling to see the new seedlings emerge from the soil at last! Previously only a few peas had…
The soil is alive.. and in it, there is a world of life and wonders waiting to be discovered. Students learned that soil is made up of minerals ( rock, sand, silt, clay) air, water, and organic matter. distinct horizontal layers ( Humus, topsoil, eluviation layer, subsoil, regolith layer, and bedrock) divide the soil into horizons and they range…
Discovering which bugs are friends of the garden and which bugs can be destructive is best done by observation. The students at Ramona got to do just that, they walked throughout the garden finding evidence of eaten leaves and fruit and the culprit pests behind it. They made a quick “T” chart to indicate friends…
Teaching preschoolers about the garden is so much fun! During this lesson we learned about seeds, where they come from and how they grow. Most of the students knew seeds grow into plants, but they didn’t know where seeds come from. With the help of a giant sunflower, the children quickly remembered, “Seeds come from…
Discovering all the different insects that call Aspire’s garden their home, is one of the most interesting activities. That’s why during today’s class, we looked into all the beneficial insects and the insect foes of the garden. Lady beetles and their larva are very active right now and coincidentally, so are the aphids! We discovered…
My first week at Sullivan Preschool was amazing! The children were excited and super curious about the garden and all the creatures and plants. I introduced them to Leo the Lion (my puppet “friend of the garden” assistant) who gets their attention in a flash! We have been exploring the area while reinforcing the rules…
Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors. Eating as many colorful fruits and veggies is a challenge for students and adults. Colorful fruits and vegetables help prevent health issues and make the immune system stronger. Students learned that vegetables and fruits are classified into 5 colors: blue/ Purple, green, red, yellow/orange, white/brown. The color protects fruits…
Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors. Eating as many colorful fruits and veggies is a challenge for students and adults. Colorful fruits and vegetables help prevent health issues and make the immune system stronger. Students learned that vegetables and fruits are classified into 5 colors: blue/ Purple, green, red, yellow/orange, white/brown. The color protects fruits…
The soil is alive.. and in it, there is a world of life and wonders waiting to be discovered. Students learned that soil is made up of minerals (rock, sand, silt, clay) air, water, and organic matter. Distinct horizontal layers (Humus, topsoil, eluviation layer, subsoil, regolith layer, and bedrock) divide the soil into horizons and they range from rich…
Though the kids didn’t like losing the beautiful mammoth sunflowers, late summer brought droopy heads loaded with seeds to be harvested. Their little fingers were perfect for this job. After planting the seeds in the garden, they stuffed their pockets with more to plant in their own yards…..and we still had plenty to leave for…
Feeling and testing soil samples of sand, silt, clay and loam became a science experiment for Third graders at Mt. Washington Elementary School. The young scientists soon discovered these results: well drained planting beds receiving plenty of water with sun and shade allowed this garden soil to be a lovely loamy paradise growing healthy kale,…
The Garden Program at Lassen Elementary School started the 2018-2019 school year with three classes of kindergartners. They enthusiastically learned to hold their hands to make a safe cup so their seeds wouldn’t fall out or blow away. Then each week we practiced using our “planting fingers” to determine the proper planting depth (one knuckle…
The soil is alive.. and in it, there is a world of life and wonders waiting to be discovered. Students learned that soil is made up of minerals (rock, sand, silt, clay) air, water, and organic matter. Distinct horizontal layers (Humus, topsoil, eluviation layer, subsoil, regolith layer, and bedrock) divide the soil into horizons and they range from…
Knowing what grows best in your climate is crucial to growing a successful garden. Today the kids from Firestone learned what climate is, what climate we are living in, and how we have basically two growing seasons here in Southern California. We read the information from several different seed packages to determine whether the seeds…
The chill in the air is bringing changes to the garden, and it’s time to start planting our cool weather crops. After testing and examining the soil, these city kids couldn’t wait to get their hands dirty! The seedlings they started were ready to be planted, and even though many of the kids weren’t sure…
I know it’s been a while since the last update of the garden, but we never stopped! We had classes all summer long! We also had an abundance of summer veggies this summer. This garden continues to grow and give more and more as the months continue on. In September, we continued our regular after…
Vine St. Elementary School’s garden was ready for new babies to be planted this month. Our Pre-K friends learned about the two planting season and started fall/winter plant seedlings including beets, carrots, spinach, and cauliflower. They are so responsible and come to the garden and water their own seedlings. Our other friends learned about companion…
Arroyo Seco’s garden is blooming and offering so much sweetness. The garden had a highly productive and happy summer and is giving so much love in return. We harvested lots of squash, tomatoes, eggplants, basil, Christmas lima beans and so much more! There was plenty for us and for school staff, as well as our…
The soil is alive.. and in it, there is a world of life and wonders waiting to be discovered. Students learned that soil is made up of minerals (rock, sand, silt, clay) air, water, and organic matter. Distinct horizontal layers (Humus, topsoil, eluviation layer, subsoil, regolith layer, and bedrock) divide the soil into horizons and they range from rich…
The kids have been so excited for this day. Not because our session was ending, but because they were going to get to harvest, wash, chop and mix a grand salad. Kids love to help cook, but just don’t get too many opportunities to do so. With our updated work space and sink, making a…
On October 17, 2018, at Twentieth St. Elementary, I decided that our first snack would be a beet salad. The garden produced two red beets and a golden beet so I thought it would be a good idea to use them. First, I peeled and thinly chopped the beets into matchsticks. Then I squeezed two…
Kids are awesome! No, really, they are! They intuitively get things that take adults years to understand, and they don’t have all of these ingrained barriers. With that said, let’s get dirty. Compost. EWWWWWW right? Not really as it turns out, I only heard one “ew” from my classes and we moved on. I was…
One of my biggest challenges has been teaching children on the autism spectrum, not because they are different, but because I had such a limited scope of what these kids are able to accomplish individually. Initially, I believed that the lessons were too complicated for them to grasp, and after seeing how well they adjusted…
The little garden at Ramona has been producing some big harvests which, I’ll have to say, have everything to do with the soil! The students learned that Ramona’s soil is not just any old dirt, it’s full of minerals, has been watered and aerated, and most importantly, has lots of organic matter! The kids enjoyed…
The kids at Micheltorena had a great time with our reduce, reuse, recycle lesson. Not only were the kids already fairly aware about recycling, but they were ready to get their hands dirty by helping me sort items we use on an everyday basis at home. After reviewing definitions of reduce, reuse, recycle, we laid…
Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors. Eating as many colorful fruits and veggies is a challenge for both students and adults. Colorful fruits and vegetables help prevent health issues and make the immune system stronger. Students learned that vegetables and fruits are classified into 5 colors: blue/purple, green, red, yellow/orange, and white/brown. These colors protect…
On October 17, 2018, Kindergartners in the Lassen Elementary Garden program got to taste some of the parts of plants we have been learning about. We ate carrot roots, celery stems, broccoli flowers, spinach leaves, and Swiss chard leaves. Carrots were yummy, but apparently celery and broccoli are not pleasing to every taste bud. Nevertheless,…
New raised garden beds were added by Enrich LA to the main courtyard garden at Hamlin Charter Academy in September 2018 along with an automatic irrigation system! Garden Classes with Garden Ranger Melanie Golder officially began on September 18 for two 1st grade classes, a 3rd grade class, and a TK class. Other Hamlin classes…
The soil is alive.. and in it, there is a world of life and wonders waiting to be discovered. Students learned that soil is made up of minerals (rock, sand, silt, clay) air, water, and organic matter. Distinct horizontal layers (Humus, topsoil, eluviation layer, subsoil, regolith layer, and bedrock) divide the soil into horizons and they range from rich…
Our kindergarten and first grade friends at KIPP Comienza have been spending Tuesday mornings learning about soil pie (it’s delicious for plants!), the life cycle of plants, food chains, and diversity in the garden. We are very lucky to have a classroom available for our lessons, and the children get really excited when I walk…
One of the most important resources on our planet, hands down, is soil. It is sometimes difficult to give soil the importance it deserves because it’s just dirt, right? And it’s everywhere. Well, this week in the garden we discovered why dirt is so important and that not all dirt is created equal. We also…
In September, I returned for my third year at Delevan Drive Elementary School! For the first rotation, we had many different grades come to class including 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade. We had the chance to weed and explore the garden, and to learn about seasons and the climate of Los Angeles. We learned…
We never stopped growing food and working in the garden over summer vacation. We even had some parents come to some classes over the summer. The parents learned why we do no-till in the garden, weeded, and fixed up the beds. They learned about and how to sheet mulch with cardboard and mulch, and planted…
As mentioned in the last blog post, we have been learning about what an eco-system is and studying the eco-systems within each garden bed here at Taking The Reins this Fall. Each student is assigned a garden bed to explore and within that bed, I’ve challenged the students to each choose one plant to explore…
We were enjoying a lovely day following the class outline I had planned. We’ve been studying eco-systems for this session at Taking The Reins and everyone was busy working in their assigned garden bed. All of the sudden, a couple of students found a rather large praying mantis hanging out in the lemongrass. This lemongrass…
September was full of welcoming faces for myself as I became the new Garden Ranger at ERES for two days of the week! It’s been a pleasure getting to know the garden and students! For the first rotation of the year, I welcomed many TK and Kinder students. Students learned how to be in the…
This is my first year as the garden ranger at Frank Del Olmo Elementary! I’ve had a blast with my current crop of 2nd and 3rd grade students, who are also experiencing their first garden class ever. We’ve spent the last 6 weeks exploring, touching, tasting, and planting. By far, my favorite lesson of this…
Over the summer, a new garden was built over at the satellite site, Pueblo Del Sol, of the Variety Boys and Girls Club! So now we have garden classes here, at the White Memorial Community Garden AND the main site! Here at Pueblo, we started with getting plants in the soil over the summer! Now…
September means we are back at the garden for the new school year! During the month of September, we learned many different things. We learned and explored about friends and foes in the garden, and even found both while we explored with magnifying glasses. Unfortunately we had a big foe that came in and ate…
We had a fun surprise in the garden. We counted 10 ladybugs on one plant! The ladybugs are loving the Black Sorghum plant. The students know that ladybugs are a friend of the garden from our “Friends and Foe” lesson. In our lesson today, we talked about climates and seasons. In Los Angeles, we have…
I think it’s safe to say that learning about worms was the students favorite lesson! We read the book “Wonderful Worms” by Linda Glaser. We talked about the fact that worms are one of the greatest friends in a garden. They make tunnels in the ground, eat rotten food, and make soil. Worm poo is…
We’ve been exploring soil and what’s in it with our four classes at King Middle School. After a long, hot summer where the school’s famous squirrels chewed through much of the irrigation in the raised beds (cute little monsters!), the garden needed rebuilding from the ground up. Thankfully, gardening soil is the perfect place to…
The goal this year is to instill the characteristics of a good scientist. Teaching what it means to investigate, observe, and notetake. For the students at Calvert Elementary, this started with a close observation of the details and differences amongst garden plants. In their journals, students took note of sizes, shapes, pointy or dull edges,…
The Mayberry Magicians this month got up close and personal with red worms to learn about Vermiculture! We started by reading together the “Wonderful World of Worms,” by Linda Glaser. Then we created a happy worm habitat drawing and pinpointed the parts of the anatomy we knew. The students were shocked to learn that there…
Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors. Eating as many colorful fruits and veggies is a challenge for many students and adults. Colorful fruits and vegetables help prevent health issues and make the immune system stronger. Students learned that vegetables and fruits are classified into 5 colors: blue/ Purple, green, red, yellow/orange, white/brown. The color protects…
I changed up learning the parts of the plant when I brought in various onions to plant. The kids all had some experience with onions, mostly how they make you cry when you slice them and how strong tasting they are. During class we learned that the actual bulb of the onion is made up…
At Sherman Oaks the new green generations have started to sprout. We are very excited to start this school year with our hands in the ground. The first generation of Organic Gardeners began to plant the first seeds and seedlings in the raised beds. We learned about some specific rules that we must follow in…
We sat down last week at Primary Academy to discuss the water cycle and it’s importance in plants and nature. The kids learned to identify evaporation, condensation and precipitation in the cycle and what each means. Our foggy, cloudy morning was a good segueway into the lesson. Once the kids drew and labeled…
Students transformed into plants and insects!? Is this Vine St Elementary or Hogwarts!? This month students learned that aphids move around by hoping and ladybugs move slowly and methodically. They also learned that ladybugs help the garden by eating aphids that hinder a garden from thriving. They also learned the different parts of a plants…
This month, Gardner Elementary students had a busy month as scientists and curators! The fourth grade students at Gardner Street Elementary examined the health of the soil in the garden. They first felt the soil with their hands, wrote about what the soil felt like and made hypotheses on how much sand, silt, and clay was…
The kindergartners loved getting their hands dirty! We talked about the ingredients in soil — minerals, air, water, and organic matter. We did some investigating in the soil using magnifying glasses. We gathered around the garden beds and dug our hands in the soil. The kids described what it felt like using words like fluffy…