This beautifully written piece in the Denver Post is from Louise O. Young, who passed the Steele Elementary Community Garden every morning on her way to get coffee, while she was visiting her daughter and grandson from Massachusetts.
An excerpt:
Behind a chainlink fence, I saw turned plots of soil, compost bins, neatly stacked painted wooden signs and small picnic tables. I glanced back at the nearby building before continuing my walk to the coffee shop. On the way back, cup in hand, I lingered. In the corner of the lot, next to the gardening area, was a short, winding trail through what looked to be native grass plantings.
It was pint-sized, a perfect magical path for children, both beautiful and playful. Continuing along the sidewalk, I was surprised to see that this was all part of a school.
In subsequent journeys for morning coffee, I noticed more enticing elements and began looking forward to finding them. I spotted a weather station set up in the garden area, close to the colorful work tables, purple, blue and green. I noticed letters of the alphabet on the side of the play apparatus for the younger students. Large black and white renditions of the phases of the moon were attached to the fencing on a nearby play field where students would see them as they circled the sandy track. Colorful banners designed by the children hung from the posts by the doors.
Steele School Garden is a Denver Urban Gardens community garden, operated in partnership with Slow Food Denver. To read the entire article, click here. To learn more about DUG’s school garden and nutrition education programs, click here.
Denver Urban Gardens
