Enabling Sensory Garden for School

[mvpgardens]

Hi all.
I am new to this forum and to Earthbox gardening.  I was looking into ways to do veggie gardening on my deck and around the condo building, so checked their site.  I was pleased to see the educational section because I am doing a Master Gardener project for a Chicago Public School and this may be the answer to how best to do something this year that is educational, quick, and reasonably priced.

Originally I was to revive two table gardens for this magnet school of which about 25% of the children have special needs (physical and cognitive).  A sensory garden was suggested for the varous ways it could be used in lessons for kids of all ages and abilities.  But with the prospect of extra funding we pursued getting three new wheelchair accessible wooden tables built in a sunnier and more spacious area in back of the school.  This has proved to be a hangup though since we are not hearing back on Home Depot requests for funds/supplies/expertise and are not sure if other funding sources will come though.  Nor are we (my colleague is a MG and a parent there) savvy about building things. I will be starting work for the garden season in April so time is a factor for me.  I had hoped my design and material ideas would be set by now and we would pursue purchasing plants, soil, etc. as the season approached and have a planting day.  Lessons and maintenance are to be handled by school personnel.

Having researched many grant sources and taled to the Chicago Botanic Garden Hort Therapty expert, we are both of the mind that the School may be best off pursuing a program next year now that we know the options available and the money and timeframes required.  But ths year we thought we would do freestanding tall (or raised) containers as a start and they can be fitted into any future design.  I am pursuing container sources but have no strong leads yet. Last night I came across this info and thought - wow - this could be the answer.  Everything comes in a kit with lessons and we just choose the plants (and soil and fertilizer if we choose.)  Plus there is a discount for schools. 

While we were looking at a garden that stimulates the five senses and could be used for arts & crafts and culture, as well as botany and environmentalism, food was part of it and I can see the need here too for urban kids (some on reduced lunch programs.)  So here are my two basic questions:

1. Does this method of growing preclude herbs, flowers, some perennials (e.g. lamb's ear) and other sensory plants?  Can I combine them in one container since we are trying for a mix of materials, including examples from different continents? We have a big open space with sun so that is not an issue - only if various plants do or do not do well in these boxes and if you can mix things up. I am familiar with doing that choosing plants of similar cultural needs but the watering here is different.  Can we customize? The watering would be by hand. 

2. Here is the dealbreaker question. How can we make these of the appropriate height and accessibility to be used by kids in wheelchairs?  The ADA rule is 24  inches high and of course there needs to be open space for the chair to fit underneath.  Safety is a factor regarding stability and materials used.  I thought of cinder blocks since no building is needed - not very attractive though.  Is there an easy to make, attractive, safe option that is also cheap?

I truly appreciate any input, ideas, questions.  This is a new area to me - I am a perennial specialist at a garden center and a garden consultant/coach but not conversant in carpentry or personally familiar with Earthboxes.  I am also new to creating a childrens/enabling garden.  I have plant, design, and lesson ideas and my colleague has enabled kids, the school connection and grant writing skills, but we need some practical advice.  Thanks so much.

[alwayslearning]

1.  Yes, you can grow flowers, herbs, veggies, etc.  There is a thread on "mixing plants" that you will want to read so you can better understand quantities and placement of plants. 

The Earthbox system works by wicking water upward from the reservoir, drawing the fertilizer downward, and properly aerating the roots.  Unlike regular planting containers, the potting mix extends beyond the top of the box and the box is covered.  Plant layout is important because of the fertilizer strip.  The potting mix needs to be soil-less. Ones that contain sphagnum peat seem to work the best - use the EB potting mix if you can. (No need to worry about that "extra" fertilizer in commerical potting mixes since it is minimal.)  Keep the water reservoir filled.

Helpful hints: do read and follow the EB instructions; can moisten the potting mix in a separate container until it like a wrung-out sponge; use a nylon stocking to hold the fertilizer - easier to place in a strip and to pull out at the end of the growing season; put several inches of potting mix on top of the fertilizer strip (especially if you use organic fert because critters might try to dig and eat it otherwise).

You will be amazed at how well plants will grow in an Earthbox.  If you are thinking about tomatoes or cucumbers, use patio/container/bush types rather than vining types unless you are prepared to build yourself a big trellis to support them (include a request for trellis materials in your HD donation request the following year!). 

2.  There is an Earthbox stand that is green and measures 29-1/4" x 13-3/4" x 27" high.  It is sturdy.  A filled and planted Earthbox weighs 79 lbs per Kathy.     

Also, excess water drains from a hole on the long side of the EB - consider attaching tubing at the drainage hole to direct any excess water to the ground instead of onto people's knees and feet.  Forum users rave about the Automatic Watering System which would solve both issues and keep it properly watered even on weekends; a downside is it would deprive students of the experience of watering the plants every day.

This forum has a search feature which is quite helpful if you have specific questions.  Use the little magnifying glass or advanced search features for best results.

Edited based on what I learned since writing this initially.

[kathy]

MVP since it sounds like you qualify to purchase through our education dept, you can order the stand through that department also, you need to contact our Education Director Molly Philbin, I will send you a private message with her contact information. I believe Molly is out of the office till Tuesday. The EarthBox stand was developed origianally for wheel chair accessability. She has much experience in grant funding etc.

[mvpgardens]

Wow!  These replies are incredibly helpful and detailed.  I had no idea there was a raised version especially for wheelchair bound people.  The water diversion tip is so clever.  Would not have thought of that.  Any additional input is most appreciated. I will confer with my colleague and may have more questions or follow-up.  Thanks all.

[John]

Hello MVP,
Welcome to the Forum and to the Education Dept.  We can provide Powerpoints to anyone who would like to present to a specific group.  Contact me, or Molly, directly for quantity prices, powerpoints, brochures, etc.