Wenonah Elementary School students cultivated a passion for horticulture during a number of recent activities in preparation for the planting of a plethora of crops at the school, which will be harvested over the summer. 

In its third year at Wenonah, the “Giving Garden” provides fifth-grade students with an opportunity to experience a vast number of horticultural concepts before preparing a garden they will maintain from the end of each school year into the summer on a volunteer basis. Students learn about the parts of a plant, when is the best time to grow certain vegetables and what yields a successful crop. 

This year, students planted basil, beans, beets, corn, cilantro, dill, Long Island cheese pumpkin, okra, peas, peppers and zucchini among other vegetables. Students across each grade level were responsible for growing a seedling that would be planted in the garden once it sprouted.  

All harvested crops from the garden are donated to the local nonprofit organization, Island Harvest. To date, the garden has provided hundreds of pounds of fresh produce to food banks on Long Island.