Growing with Purpose: Supporting Our Community One Herb at a Time
Our students have continued to work weekly during their science period to care for our indoor greenhouse. They have planted herbs, which we have proudly sold throughout the school, building both responsibility and real-world vocational skills.
As our plants continue to grow, we are excited to share our harvest by delivering fresh herbs to the Cranford Food Pantry in June. Looking ahead, we are especially excited to expand our efforts into the community by transplanting our indoor plants into the school’s outdoor garden, where they will have the space and environment to truly thrive and reach their full growth potential.
The long winter has enveloped the landscape in a serene blanket of snow, transforming everything into a glistening wonderland. As the chill deepens, our garlic, planted at the season’s onset, has been quietly growing beneath the frosty surface. These hardy bulbs thrive in the cold, soaking up moisture from the melting snow, and by the end of winter, they will be ready to harvest. Garlic, with its robust flavor and health benefits, is the perfect companion for winter meals, adding warmth and richness to our dishes during this chilly season.
The recent stretch of warm weather has done more than just melt the snow—it’s brought our playground back to life! As students rushed outside to enjoy the sun, they took a detour to check on our climate-resilient garden. To everyone’s surprise and delight, the strawberry plants weren’t just surviving; they were thriving. It was a wonderful “aha!” moment for our young gardeners to see nature’s local resilience in action.
I think the snow is over. It seemed like it was going to last forever, but like many things, disappeared with a whimper. Now we can get down to the business of growing things.
We have a couple of gardeners on our staff and I’m going to see if they have any seeds they would like to contribute. I was ruminating on seeds the other day, thinking about how the sum total of human knowledge concerning plants is represented in the totality of seeds in the world. People have been selecting for certain traits and breeding plants to serve us for more years than we can agree on. They didn’t harvest the best plants in the field, they let them go to seed, so that their genetics would be planted next year. The genetic diversity of plant life is a library, created and maintained by people, and represents a sum total of shared provenance. A shared investment that no one can honestly lay claim to. A fund from which we are all entitled to withdraw. This year, many of the plants we grow at Washington Elementary School will be sourced from people we know.
We are excited to share that our students of Westlake School obtained an indoor greenhouse with grow lights through the Kids Dig In grant, a meaningful opportunity that will transform learning for our students with Autism. This grant has allowed us to bring year-round gardening directly into our classroom, creating a structured, sensory-friendly environment where students can explore plant growth, responsibility, and vocational skills regardless of weather or season. For many of our learners, especially those who thrive on routine and predictable systems, having a consistent indoor growing space provides stability while still offering hands-on, engaging experiences.
The indoor greenhouse is more than just shelves and lights; it is a dynamic teaching tool. Students will participate in planting seeds, watering, monitoring growth, and harvesting produce, all while following individualized visual schedules and task analyses. The grow lights allow us to simulate natural sunlight, ensuring plants thrive even during colder months, which means our vocational training does not pause. Students practice fine motor skills while handling soil and seeds, build functional math skills when measuring water or counting seedlings, and strengthen communication by requesting materials or commenting on plant growth using AAC devices.
This greenhouse also supports social-emotional development. Gardening is naturally regulating and calming, offering sensory input through touch, smell, and visual observation. Students experience the pride that comes from nurturing a living thing and seeing tangible results from their work. The structure of daily plant care routines reinforces independence, responsibility, and work-readiness behaviors such as completing tasks, checking off schedules, and working collaboratively with peers.
Most importantly, the Kids Dig In grant affirms what we already know — our students are capable of meaningful, authentic work when given the right supports. The indoor greenhouse will serve as a foundation for expanding our vocational programming, potentially supplying plants for our school community or future garden center initiatives. It represents growth not only for our plants, but for our students as learners, workers, and valued members of our community.
Bundle up and grab your favorite four-legged friend—we’re heading out to the garden! 🐾❄️
Today, one of our students and our resident comfort dog braved the chill to see how the Climate Resilient Garden is holding up under its thick blanket of snow. At first glance, the garden looks like it’s in a deep winter slumber; most of the beds are quiet, and the typical greenery is nowhere to be seen.
I can’t believe anything can survive this cold, but it does, and will continue to do so, I suppose. Our little sapling is buried in snow and can’t be seen. While that may seem inconsiderate, I think the snow is the only protection it’s gonna get.
It’s fascinating how most of the natural world seems to slowly die in the winter, only to crawl back when it seems most dire. A friend of mine in L.A. was saying she had blueberries twice a year, and strawberries year-round. While that sounds delicious, I’m calibrated to the 4 seasons, and I’m thankful for the punctuation throughout the year. This too shall pass; soon we’ll see the first shoots of the spring, and all this will be a fond memory.
Plant, Pick, Share: Students Bringing Joy from the Garden
Today our students experienced the full joy of learning from the garden! With care and excitement, they picked fresh flowers and fragrant basil that they helped grow. This activity gave them the opportunity to practice responsibility, patience, and teamwork while connecting their hard work to a meaningful purpose.
The flowers were carefully gathered to be shared with a local nursing home, spreading smiles and kindness to members of our community. The basil was harvested to be used in our cooking activity, where students created delicious mozzarella, tomato, and basil appetizers. Seeing the garden turn into something that could be given and enjoyed made the experience even more powerful.
Through this hands-on activity, students practiced important life skills such as following directions, handling materials gently, identifying plants, and understanding where food comes from. They also strengthened communication skills by making choices, labeling items, and working together toward a shared goal.
This was a beautiful example of how our garden supports independence, confidence, and community connection. From planting to picking to sharing, our students truly showed that small actions can grow into something meaningful.
The air might be crisp, but our sensory garden is still full of life! ❄️🌿 Even with the cold weather, students are enjoying the fresh air and the sights and smells of the season. The rosemary is still in full bloom, adding a beautiful scent to these chilly days.
