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Derry Garden Club members are working with children from the Boys
and Girls Club of Greater Derry on a community garden project, now
in its second year. Recently, club members worked with about 20
children, planting seeds and transplanting young plants.
The worthy goal is to
teach children to see how the garden evolves through the season as
it is tended and also to offer lessons about healthy eating.
Throughout the growing season, children will get to taste the fruits
of their labor. For some, the taste of truly fresh vegetables may be
a life-changing revelation.
In addition to the Garden
Club, a number of local groups have been involved with the project.
In preparation for the planting season, local Rotarians helped clear
weeds and invasive plants from the garden site.
It's part of the Derry
Garden Club's commitment to the national garden club effort to
"Beautify Blight" and create community gardens for learning and
enjoyment from otherwise not-so-attractive spots, club member and
project advisor Blanche Garone told reporter Julie Huss.
Experts from Sticks and
Stones Farm in Center Barnstead are helping set up a hydroponic
garden as well. With hydroponics, plants can be rooted and grown
without the use of traditional soil. Garone also hopes to involve
horticulture students from Pinkerton Academy in the project.
Children, like tender
seedlings, need nurturing to grow and thrive. The Garden Club
project lets kids have fun and get their hands dirty, all while
teaching valuable lessons about caring for the earth.
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