One Ascension Garden
Growing in the Garden
Gardening is an essential part of the Ascension Outdoor Classroom experience. The first garden at Ascension Lutheran School began at our preschool in 2009 when the teachers were inspired to connect children with nature. This original garden grew with contributions from elementary school classes and the church community.
At present we are designing a new One Ascension Garden that will be located around our Makerspace and Life Lab classrooms. Plans for the new garden feature a greenhouse for growing, outdoor kitchen for farm-to-table cooking, amphitheater for worship and performances, and beautiful garden-scaping that includes native California plants and specialty trees.
Cultivating New Skills
Until the One Ascension Garden is complete, we use our existing garden spaces on campus for each class to grow food items such as beans, peas, kale, and carrots, and learn how to cultivate and sustain a garden. In doing so our students come to understand where our food comes from and healthy nutrition practices that give our bodies what they need. We take time to appreciate the beauty around us and practice being still in God’s creation.
Our garden encourages the entrepreneurial spirit as well. Every February, each elementary class plants a variety of tomato seeds and tends to them as they grow. In the spring, students sell these tomato plants to school families, church members, and the local community to raise funds for improving and expanding our Outdoor Classroom.