Nestled in between G5 and G4 lies a garden transformed. The once pitiful space had been gathering dust for years until just a few months ago. Inspired by their Indigenous literature unit, Nicole Carter’s English III classes have worked hard to restore and revitalize the drab space to its former glory.
“We had an Indigenous literature unit and Ms. Carter was experimenting with different projects we could do,” junior Peter Manuel said. “One of the indigenous stories we read was about three sisters farming, how the corn, bean and squash all protect each other and grow together. That kind of inspired our garden project. We made presentations and did research on what we could plant.”
Their research was more than a quick Google search. The classes had to spend time finding plants that would prosper in Oak Park’s climate and work well together in the beds.
“We researched for about a week, getting into groups and figuring out the best kind of plants to grow during this season,” junior Naduni Chandrasena said. “We came up with a whole list: plants, tools, water, sunlight, soils for the different garden beds.”
The classes have sowed great variety in their six little beds. From tomatoes and jalapenos, to peas and lettuce, the garden is sprouting with delicious procedure. Each plant requires unique conditions to thrive.
“Some of the plants we started from seeds in this little seed starter box, others we started already grown and just put them straight into the ground,” Chandrasena said. “We also built these irrigation systems hooked up to a timer that help us regulate the water needs of each bed.”
This project has been lengthy, starting all the way back in October.
“Just setting up the garden took a little while, all thirty of us were out here building the stone paths, cleaning up the ground, and assembling the trellis,” Chandrasena said.
But as the garden becomes more self-sustaining, just a few students are needed to tend to it. As part of this small volunteer task force, Chandrasena spends around 15 minutes each class making sure everything is running smoothly.
“We come out here every period, either at the beginning or end, to water everything, check the moisture level with the soil tester and move things around as needed,” Chandrasena said. “We had to move some of the flowers back and forth after we realized this big tree in front was blocking a lot of the sunlight. It is just a lot of logistics, making sure the beds are clean, the irrigation system is working, and that everything is healthy.”
Turning seasons and tricky tree roots have proved challenging in the gardening process, but the class’ thorough research and critical thinking have served them well in jumping these hurdles.
“There are big trees in the garden space and their roots were blocking some of our beds,” Manuel said. “Obviously these big roots aren’t something you can just yank out, but we managed to adjust and move our things to further plots.”
“You have to do a lot of research before starting something like this, especially as the weather changes,” Chandrasena said. “We started this project back in the fall but since it’s become winter, we’ve had to adjust to fit the new climate and find plants that will be sustainable in these conditions.”
By getting their hands dirty and connecting with the soil, the students have found joy in restoring and beautifying this space.
“Putting up the trellis arches on either side of the garden beds was probably the most fun,” junior Dalton Walker said.
Others find the garden’s sustainability systems fascinating.
“It’s been pretty fun to figure out the composting and mulch systems as we plant new things,” junior Violette Montero said.
Beyond the indigenous literature connection, some students have found great unity between the garden experience and their English work.
“We were all working together to build something,” Walker said. “We are all connected through this, just like English and literature brings us all together.”
The class has truly transformed the once pitiful lot into a thriving space, but their work is not over yet. With the second semester still ahead of them, there still lies great potential in this newly revitalized space, and hopefully, an end-of-the-year garden party.
“The garden’s not done yet, we still have a lot left to plant but the progress we’ve made so far is exciting,” Chandrasena said. “Watching the plants grow is just so rewarding, especially when you start them from seeds. Now they are all sprouted and hopefully by the end of this year we can have a garden party, harvest everything we’ve grown and just eat it.”
Gardening initiatives are also blossoming beyond high school. Oak Park Unified School District recently received a grant for gardens across all campuses and hired Jenna Salim from Ventura County Farm to School to help come in and professionally make them over. She will be working with OPHS’ gardening club to install ground cover, sheds, and seating.
