The students grow everything from tomatoes to beans to cilantro to pansies and take turns watering, cleaning and harvesting. Vianey led the way to a row of corn, then a patch of strawberries. Ladybugs were brought in to keep smaller bugs from eating the strawberries, while onions and garlic also act as natural pesticides, Ostroff said. A lesson in ethics is just one of many students have learned from the gardens, he said. The students decided to spray the plants with soapy water.
Classes take turns caring for the gardens.
Students also take the initiative to keep the gardens clean and healthy on their own, Peralta said. Next to a hummingbird and butterfly garden with native flowers and cacti, Vianey plucked a leaf of cilantro, one of many plants that students are taking home to their parents. She said the gardens could bring her back to the school long after she graduates. Selected incidents from police files. Anyone with information about the following crimes or incidents is asked to contact the appropriate local police agency.