February Progress

Ms. Wicker's 5K class started herbs and flowers for the Memory Garden. We sowed a flat with dill, parsley, catnip, chamomile and snapdragons. Apparently all the children have green fingers since this was the result.

On Friday I met Ms.Kajal's adorable 4K class. We planted three large planters with strawberries. They did an excellent job. The lovely rain is now watering in the plants.

We purchased seven sets of child sized trowels which we used to plant the strawberries on Friday.

Mrs. Frady's second grade class made a video for Project Orange Thumbsm, a grant program offered by Fiskars. Within U.S. and Canada twenty (20) grant recipients will be selected. Each will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and up to $1,000.00 in gardening-related materials (i.e. green goods). Keep your fingers crossed ...

Other funders

Significant support has been received for the development of this project from Dr. Brenda Vander May and Clemson University's Landscapes for Learning Initiative. Visit their website here.

Thank you!

School District 4 honored for Beautification

Pendleton Elementary's Memory Garden was honored yesterday by Anderson County's Keep America Beautiful Organization. The Memory Garden was acknowledged as an integral part of beautification by a number of schools in Anderson Schoool District 4.

PTO Social and Garden Meeting

Tonight was a wonderful meeting celebrating the success of the Memory Garden and all the hardworking people involved in its establishment.

Photo: Lynn Merchant
From left to right: Mr. Herb Knox from Lowes in Anderson presented a grant check for $3500 to PTO head, Janice Lee and Pendleton Elementary School Principal , Gwen Massey, and Sue Watts, school volunteer.

Upcoming work days
- Saturday 21st March
- Saturday 18th April

Call to action!

Greetings to all Pendleton residents!
I am starting this blog to encourage you to participate in a wonderful project at Pendleton Elementary School: The Memory Garden.

We envision the Memory Garden as a sustainable, organic habitat and a learning laboratory for this school. The garden is located between two classroom wings- the space is visible to and accessible from the classrooms lining the space. On a daily basis students will be able to monitor growth and change in the garden. More than any other place in a school an outdoor classroom nurtures environmental awareness in children. As they play and work outside they learn about the beauty and importance of the natural world. By planting,weeding, harvesting, feeding the birds and providing a habitat for butterflies and other insects, children are gently drawn into the cycle of nature.

This blog will be a place to monitor the progress of the garden but also to become involved. For any project like this to succeed we need the involvement of the wider community. We have recently received a grant from Lowes and look forward to the transformations this money will facilitate. You can help as we go forward with this project.

Join us for a PTO Social and Celebration at the school on February 16th at 6pm. A representative of Lowes will formally present the grant check to the school. Immediately following at 7pm there will be an organizational meeting of anyone interested in helping the garden grow.

Things we need:
Garden tools (child sized)
Bird houses, feeders, baths
Garden shed - for storage
Wheelbarrows
Cuttings from your favorite plants.
Seeds & seed starting equipment.
Your help on our monthly work days - to be announced.