This story came from our Let's Talk Greendale listening session. Let's Talk is a TMJ4 initiative where we visit your community to learn about the stories that matter to you.
What was once a weed-filled patch of grass in a Greendale park has turned into a thriving garden. Its caretakers, local kids, have been helping maintain it for seven years and giving the produce grown there to a local senior citizens group.
Introducing the Greendale Children's Garden in Daffodale Park.
“We found two worms," 11-year-old Clara Johnson said.
She isn't a big fan of worms. But caterpillars? That's a different story.
“We've been doing butterfly bushes lately and finding lots of caterpillar eggs," she said.
That's one of the perks of working at the garden, and why Johnson came back for a second summer. She has basically become an expert at planting butterfly bushes.
“Straight from the pot, we just pulled it out and planted it," she said.
Johnson likes the feeling of getting her hands in the soil and smelling the soil. The garden is more than just pretty butterflies and flowers. They are also growing produce and donating it to a local senior citizens group.
Watch the story about the Greendale Children's Garden here...
“About 300 pounds of produce per year," Jan Murray, the secretary for the Greendale Children's Garden, said.
Murray loves seeing how invested the kids get in the garden.
“Seeing the kids get excited about food, where it comes from, and getting excited. They take ownership, like, of the cucumbers or the beans. And when they come, they're running. Let's see how many grew this year," she said.
Not all the produce makes its way to the seniors. The kids get to enjoy the fruits of their labor, too. On this particular day, they got to try the basil they grew by way of making pesto.
“It tastes very fresh," 11-year-old Johnson said about the food they grow.
After all, taste is important. Johnson doesn't want to send a bad batch to the seniors.
“It's just fun that we, like, know that we're helping people while doing this for the senior citizens," Johnson said.
You can get involved with the garden by going to the Greendale Children's Garden page on Facebook.
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