Placentino and Miller Spruce Up With Flowers
Above, Holliston Garden Club member, Annie Hale, provides gardening guidance to Miller students.
Miller students were hard at work sprucing up the flower boxes that adorn the front doors of the Placentino and Miller elementary schools. With spades, garden claws, and soiled finger nails, the students worked the soil, dug up tired pansies, and planted summer, sun loving plants.
Above, Miller students working hard to a make beautiful flower display.
The Miller students replace the flower boxes in front of the schools three to four times a year. Both Miller and Placentino students plant bulbs in the fall. Over the past eight years, these students have had opportunities to cultivate gardening skills and cultivate a love of flowers and ecology. Since 2008 the Holliston Garden Club Educational Grant program has provided monies as well as gardening consult to the Placentino and Miller students. Former Holliston Garden Club member, Marilyn Salerno, spent many years coming into the schools to directly assist students with the gardening. Now, Holliston Garden Club member, Annie Hale, has stepped in to provide direct consultation to the students. The students appreciate the community connection with these projects.
Miller students earning their "green thumbs" above.
Many of the students have limited gardening opportunities readily available outside of school. The Holliston Garden Club Education grant allows these students to get “hands on experience” with soil and flowers. These students get the opportunity to address hand and grip strength using the gardening tools. In addition to planting, students are also responsible for watering and maintaining the flowers. Watering the flowers with gallon jugs provides students strength and motor planning opportunities as well as an opportunities to take responsibility for a task that benefits their school environment.
Holliston Garden Club member, Annie Hale, and Miller students stand proudly by their completed work.
These projects would not be possible without the assistance of Chris from Arcadian Farms in Holliston as well as teacher and para support from the Placentino and Miller schools. These projects allow our students to take responsibility for beautifying their schools and maintaining these flowers. These projects also provide our students with the valuable exposure of nature’s beauty. Therefore, this grant is of great value considering that these students are future stewards of our earth’s environment.