By Colleen Cranna
On a rainy and cold morning this past Winter, Field’s Falcon and Flora student-led club met up in their familiar S building classroom. It was too cold to visit their plants outside that day, so students eagerly looked forward to their next opportunity to venture out to the gardens. Many at Field may wonder what this garden club really entails, as gardening initiatives throughout the community in the past have been few and far between. This year, however, the club hopes to grow their awareness and grow some pretty cool plants.
Led primarily by juniors CJ and Evan, the club has worked hard throughout the Fall semester to gather and refine supplies and plots in preparation for the prominent upcoming growing season in the Spring. So far, CJ recognizes that they have all “learned a lot about gardening and taking care of gardens together, just learning the basics.” Many in the club are completely new to gardening practices, and through trial and error and working together, students have learned the fundamental principles of growing various plants in this DC climate.
Throughout the Fall season, students in the club brainstormed ideas and sought out areas around the school to grow plants, ultimately deciding on a few areas to focus on. Prior to this year, Field had a few growing plots on the back side of the parking lot with access to space and to the sun, but this year the club turned to more creative means by growing daffodil bulbs on top of the steep hill. Students also took part in creating terrariums which expanded access to growing plants indoors, even during the cold Winter months.
On a day to day basis, the club ventures outdoors on sunny days to check up on their plants and record any growth or changes. Students find these days to be some of the most fun, as taking advantage of good weather days and being outside is not something that most clubs do throughout the year. But even on those days when it might be too cold or rainy to travel outside, the club finds a way to have fun all together by viewing a movie. Currently, they are still working through the Martian, enjoying the garden related plots of the film as botanist and astronaut Mark Watney grows plants on the planet Mars. In fact, a common motivational phrase that’s been heard throughout the club pertains to the movie: “If Mark Watney can grow potatoes on Mars, we should be able to grow potatoes at Field!”.
A few members of the club on a recent outing to the garden plots behind the parking lot.
CJ mentions, “it’s not quite the right season for growing yet, but we are learning that you have to care for our plants all year round even when it’s not time to grow yet.” This discipline will definitely serve the group well as Spring approaches with prime growing opportunities, and the club is looking forward to utilizing various new spaces around the school, such as outside the ceramics studio on the blacktop. Looking forward, the club hopes to work with vegetables and herbs and establish a more permanent growing cycle for the months to come.
The close-knit and intimate group has developed not only a sense for gardening practices, but also a love for the feeling of accomplishment that comes from fostering plant growth. Leaders Evan and CJ want to leave other students at Field with one last comment thinking about club selections for next year: “Join gardening club!”