garden project page_________________
Dear friends, we will keep you posted in fall 2019

a 9,000 square foot heritage and heirloom food garden
has been built directly behind the tennis courts
at the Princess Elizabeth Elementary School - PEES
Phase 1 of this project was DONE in June 2012 thanks to numerous Volunteers and numerous Sponsors.
|
FALL 2013-
Phase 2A
|
The Community Garden Project
We will be celebrating the closing of the garden season with The Stone Soup Harvest Celebration that will be held on Tuesday October 29th at lunch hour. This celebration is to honor our donors and volunteers who make possible the bounty that the garden provides for our students.
The celebration is named after the book “Stone Soup”. After the students harvest
the remainder of vegetables from the garden, each child is also asked to bring a vegetable from home to place in the soup just like the town's people from the Stone Soup Story. (Don't worry there actually won't be any stones in the soup)
Local chef Didier Desjardin has volunteered to head up a small group of volunteers to prepare the soup for the entire school, volunteers and donors. Thank you Didier!
A Special thank you to the Toronto Dominion Bank for their generous contribution of $4,000.00 that made it possible to purchase the garden shed and composting bins that will arrive soon.
THANK YOU TD Bank from all of us at Princess Elizabeth Elementary School.
Anyone out there want to join The (working) Garden Committee?
Call Pervana: 819-238-1285
|
|
SPRING 2013-
Phase 2
|
We are now preparing for Phase 2 of the project, which includes:
building a 24' x 28' outdoor classroom/picnic area with a raised floor and a solid roof that will allow us to collect rainwater,
increasing the number of beds, both raised and in-ground, to accommodate the waiting list of interested community members,
installing an irrigation system to bring tap water from the school to 3 outlets in the garden,
planting kiwi vines along the fence,
purchasing more heritage seeds and
purchasing a storage shed.
|
|
School gardens are a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility. We can also teach them about the environment and about recycling, composting and water conservation.
More than just a teaching tool, this Food Garden will become a portal through which knowledge of nature will be passed from one generation to another. It will also engender a sense of belonging to a community and working together for a common goal. Together participants will exchange knowledge and create a bond between our school and the community. This provides an opportunity for the students to connect with nature, take responsibility for our community, learn about the importance of healthy eating, and ultimately achieve a healthy vibrant community lifestyle.
|
PROJECT SUMMARY
IN 140 WORDS
|
9,000 square feet of land has been set aside on school property to build a fenced-in, experiential learning garden to grow organic vegetables, berries, fruit, flowers, fruit trees, vines, shrubs and herbs in phases.
Using the ‘Patterns Through the Seasons’ guidebook and consulting with Concordia University and a Montreal Gardens group, our garden planning committee comprised of 4 teachers, 4 seniors, 2 students and the CLC coordinator, will provide teacher support for our entire faculty to enhance curriculum.
Art class will also be involved in providing signs, stakes, sculptures etc. Teachers and students supported by more local volunteer gardeners will spend at least 45 minutes per week working in the garden.
Magog’s Summer Camp will care for the summer garden. Students will also be involved with introducing a farmers market for our community to inject an entrepreneurial side to this project
|

 |
LAYOUT OF THE FOOD GARDEN
SHOWING SEVERAL RAISED BEDS
AND OTHER PLANTATIONS
Each bed will contain several food types: just 2 examples are shown here at the far right.
|
|
Bed 1 |
Tomato |
Eggplant |
Leeks |
Kale |
Swiss chard and/or Collards |
Basil |
Parsley |
Beets |
|
2 |
Tomato |
Peppers |
Onions (plant in the middle of the bed) |
Parsnip (middle) |
Basil |
Swiss chard |
|
Of course the site will be managed through all the seasons and covering all the needs for proper maintenance and improvement. |
 |
"How" each of responsabilities is to be carried out has also been planned |
Site Management Schedule
continued
showing all the seasons. |
 |
|
Role of the Garden Advocate |
 |
|
Garden Advocate Role:
continued |
|
E |
BUDGET |
 |
The source of funding needs to be 100% from Sponsors |
|
We are now preparing for Phase 2 of the project, which includes:
building a 24' x 28' outdoor classroom/picnic area with a raised floor and a solid roof that will allow us to collect rainwater,
increasing the number of beds, both raised and in-ground, to accommodate the waiting list of interested community members,
installing an irrigation system to bring tap water from the school to 3 outlets in the garden,
planting kiwi vines along the fence,
purchasing more heritage seeds and
purchasing a storage shed.
|
|
|
School gardens are a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility. We can also teach them about the environment and about recycling, composting and water conservation.
More than just a teaching tool, this Food Garden will become a portal through which knowledge of nature will be passed from one generation to another. It will also engender a sense of belonging to a community and working together for a common goal. Together participants will exchange knowledge and create a bond between our school and the community. This provides an opportunity for the students to connect with nature, take responsibility for our community, learn about the importance of healthy eating, and ultimately achieve a healthy vibrant community lifestyle |
|
|