How Does Your Garden Grow?

With the Love and Attention of Applewood Teens

For several years Fostering Hope has partnered with Applewood to maintain 18 garden beds and provide STEAM programming for the youth living in the residential facility on Cleveland’s west side. 

Program Coordinator Kalie Johnson works with boys and girls twice a week to plant, water, and learn about the natural world. Here is a report on June in the gardens.

“We water Tuesdays with the girls, Thursdays with the boys, and the teens take turns alternating who waters on the weekends. The girls take better care of the garden space, but the boys are very passionate and possessive about their specifically planted plants. When it is especially hot and dry, the girls will volunteer to go out and take care of it with the staff assisting. Weeding is not happening as often as it should, but a big portion of the class is built upon free choice, so I talk about it as a lesson on natural consequences when the weeds overtake our seeds. 

I am excited to be growing Eucalyptus in our gardens. We will take cuttings to hang in their showers for a good steam shower! We also are growing lots of aromatics and herbs. Some highlights include lemon balm, lemon verbena, and micro basil. We have spicy microgreens, radishes, nasturtium (edible flower), Bachelor Buttons, purple basil, and chocolate mint! The clients have asked to grow blueberries, hibiscus, coneflower, pumpkins, strawberries, cosmos, cantaloupe, and roses.

In addition to maintaining the garden, we caught bugs—bees, grubs, ants, beetles—and used a book to identify and research! This has been a huge hit in each class for boys and girls. So far, the coolest thing we caught was an agapostemon or a green sweat bee.  We use plant ID apps and books to identify perennials and what is coming up from seed. We picked aromatics for a sensory garden tour, tried hot banana and snacking peppers, identified bird calls, and stacked rocks for mindfulness. 

With pocket microscope and nature slides and garden cuttings, we look at flowers, skin, hair, leaves, pollen, and insects. The children read nature education books, create blackout poetry, write in their garden journals, create garden crafts for the farmers market, and learn about the life cycle of plants.

There’s also loads of active fun: bubbles, frisbee and football, chalk and hopscotch, and paper airplanes. And on the hot days, it’s water play—water balloons, sprinklers, and spraying each other with the hose. Water play is a big want but comes near the end of classes when we've had a good day. It is great to see them be kids again in this setting.”

To learn more about Fostering Hope programming at our partner agencies, visit here.