Chrysalis School Gardens: Growing our Own Food

At Chrysalis School, we offer a Horticulture class to expose our students to the joys and benefits of gardening. We are fortunate enough to have a dedicated Horticulture Manager, Leslie! She manages the school gardens and teaches the class basic gardening skills.  She places an emphasis on growing their own “Farm to Table” food. The class also covers planning a garden, soil, composting, watering, raised beds and companion planting. Along with the basic skills, they cover a variety of horticulture practices that focus on the future by using organic and sustainable practices. The students are very excited they are growing and providing their community with fresh, organic produce!

School Gardens Generate Insight

In the school gardens, the students use their experiences to ‘grow’ personally, following nature’s lead. Students generate insight and practical skills through the process of being actively involved in the school gardens and immersed in the beauty of our natural environment. Caring for a garden allows students to nurture living organisms, which often brings out feelings of compassion. It is a relaxing space, giving the girls a break from their daily environments.

School Gardens | Chrysalis Therapeutic Boarding SchoolIt has been unseasonably warm this year in Northwest Montana, so we have taken advantage of it by starting our greenhouse a little earlier than normal. The students have been hard at work removing the soil from the barrels and replacing it with new and nutrient rich soil. They have been good sports about doing the hard work before we are able to do the fun things like planting.

We have also had fun by decorating our binders with images from magazines and seed catalogs. These serve as inspiration for the students to dream about the beautiful things they might plant!

This class is very enthusiastic and we are all looking forward to a wonderful growing season!

Leslie Fowler