The garden has also fostered a sense of sharing. People put their extra plants and produce on the picnic table for others to enjoy. One woman in her 70s makes aprons every year for our fall sale whose proceeds help support the garden. Davis can't understand why the city would want to discontinue a program that has such high return on investment. At Southeast's Lane Middle School, the community garden is an educational experience for sixth-graders.
Students germinate seeds and have young plants ready in spring to plant in the garden.
Dick Falaschetti, who supervises the program in his class, sees the benefits gardening education can have on students. It exposes them to a new learning process which requires co-operation, nurturing and careful thoroughness. Out in the garden the students perform all tasks without mechanical tools. They respond to the uniqueness of the program, said Falaschetti, who's noticed more positive interactions between his students as a result of the program. Now he is the youngest volunteer at the Berry Botanic Garden where last summer he created a bog garden.