Garden Guardians: Cultivating Community Blooms

12th Grade

Project
5 weeks

Garden Guardians: Cultivating Community Blooms

Brisa Martinez

Purpose

Embark on a transformative journey to discover how gardening can positively impact your community. By partnering with those who manage local gardens, you'll gain invaluable insights and guidance. This project will hone your skills in planning, organizing, managing, scheduling, and exercising patience and discipline. Capture the entire process through photographs, creating a visual narrative of your journey. Showcase your work in a compelling exhibition, either through a series of pictures or a detailed garden book. Launch your project by fulfilling custom succulent requests and gifting them upon completion. Dive deep into the core content of learning how to plant and care for a variety of plants, vegetables, and flowers. Develop a detailed garden layout, seek feedback, and make necessary revisions. Ultimately, your efforts will culminate in the remodeling of a garden, bringing vibrant life through the planting of vegetables, plants, and flowers. This independent project will span five weeks, with daily dedication of 4.5 hours, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in this enriching experience.

Learning goals

In this project, you will delve into the art and science of gardening, focusing on how it can benefit our community. You will learn essential skills such as planting and nurturing a variety of plants, vegetables, and flowers. By collaborating with community partners who manage the garden, you will gain insights into effective garden management. This project will also enhance your abilities in planning, organizing, managing, and scheduling, requiring patience and discipline. You'll document your journey through photographs, capturing the transformation of the garden. Ultimately, you will remodel the garden, creating a vibrant space that reflects your hard work and creativity. Through drawing layouts and receiving feedback, you'll refine your design, ensuring it meets the needs of the community. This hands-on experience will not only teach you practical gardening skills but also the importance of community engagement and environmental stewardship.

Standards

Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
NGSS - HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
Common Core - CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.3: Apply geometric methods to solve design problems.

Products

In this project, you will accomplish the transformation of a community garden by planting a variety of vegetables, plants, and flowers. You'll also create a visual record of your journey through photographs, culminating in a garden book or a photo exhibition. Additionally, you'll craft custom succulent arrangements based on requests, which you will distribute upon completing the project. This hands-on experience will not only enhance the garden's beauty but also contribute positively to the community, showcasing your hard work and dedication.

Launch

To kick off your gardening project, consider hosting a "Succulent Selection Day." Begin by researching various types of succulents and their care requirements. Invite your community partners or a local gardening expert to discuss the benefits of gardening and how it positively impacts the community. Then, allow yourself to choose a variety of succulents that you will care for and eventually gift to others. This hands-on experience will not only spark your interest in gardening but also set the stage for understanding the broader impact of your project on the community.

Exhibition

At the end of your gardening project, you can showcase your hard work and learning through a captivating exhibition. Create a vibrant garden book filled with photographs documenting each step of the process, from planning and planting to the flourishing results. Additionally, consider organizing a community event where you can display these photos alongside the remodeled garden itself. Invite community members, including those who manage the garden, to tour the space and see firsthand the impact of your efforts. This exhibition not only celebrates your achievements but also highlights the importance of gardening in enhancing community well-being.

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Research various types of succulents and their care requirements.	Organize and host the 'Succulent Selection Day' event.	Meet with community partners or a local gardening expert to discuss the benefits of gardening.	Select a variety of succulents to care for throughout the project.	Begin documenting the process with initial photographs and notes.
Deliverables	1. A detailed report on succulent care requirements. 2. Completion of the 'Succulent Selection Day' event with community partner engagement. 3. A selection of succulents chosen for the project. 4. Initial set of photographs documenting the start of the project.
Preparation

Week 2	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Develop a detailed garden layout plan, incorporating a variety of plants, vegetables, and flowers.	Consult with community partners or a local gardening expert to review and refine the garden layout.	Begin the process of sourcing necessary gardening materials and tools.	Start preparing the soil in the chosen garden area for planting.	Continue documenting the process with photographs and notes, focusing on the planning and preparation stages.
Deliverables	1. A comprehensive garden layout plan that includes all proposed plantings. 2. Feedback from community partners or a gardening expert on the garden layout. 3. A list of materials and tools needed for the project, with sourcing information. 4. Photographs and notes documenting the planning and preparation phases of the project.
Preparation

Week 3	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Begin planting the selected succulents, plants, vegetables, and flowers according to the refined garden layout.	Implement the garden layout plan by marking and organizing the planting areas in the garden.	Continue sourcing and gathering any remaining materials and tools needed for planting.	Monitor and document the growth and initial changes in the garden through photographs and notes.	Engage with community partners for feedback on the initial planting stages and adjust the approach as necessary.
Deliverables	1. Successfully planted succulents, plants, vegetables, and flowers as per the garden layout plan. 2. Updated documentation with photographs showing the initial planting process and any changes made. 3. Feedback from community partners on the initial stages of planting and any necessary adjustments.
Preparation

Week 4	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Continue nurturing and caring for the planted succulents, plants, vegetables, and flowers, ensuring they receive adequate water, sunlight, and nutrients.	Monitor the growth and health of the plants, identifying any issues such as pests or diseases, and implement appropriate solutions.	Engage with community partners and local gardening experts to receive ongoing feedback and advice on plant care and garden maintenance.	Begin organizing the photographs and notes collected so far into a coherent visual narrative, highlighting key stages of the project.	Plan the logistics and layout for the final exhibition, determining how the photographs and garden will be displayed to the community.
Deliverables	1. A comprehensive plant care log detailing the daily maintenance activities and any issues addressed. 2. An organized collection of photographs and notes documenting the progress and development of the garden. 3. A preliminary plan for the exhibition, including potential layouts and themes for displaying the visual narrative and the remodeled garden.
Preparation

Week 5	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Activities	Finalize the care and nurturing of the garden to ensure all plants are healthy and thriving.	Conduct a thorough evaluation of the garden, documenting any final adjustments or improvements made.	Prepare the garden area and photographs for the exhibition, ensuring everything is visually appealing and organized.	Host the community event to showcase the garden and the photographic journey, inviting community partners and local experts.	Distribute the custom succulent arrangements to community members as a gesture of appreciation and project completion.
Deliverables	1. A fully remodeled and thriving garden, showcasing the successful implementation of the garden layout plan. 2. A complete and organized visual narrative of the project, ready for exhibition. 3. Successful hosting of the community exhibition event, with positive feedback from attendees. 4. Distribution of custom succulent arrangements to community members.
Preparation