Sowing Seeds of Learning: Gardening at Lorien Wood School

“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to it's liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.” -Thomas Jefferson

Spring has arrived at Lorien Wood School in Vienna, and with it comes the excitement of preparing our garden for the planting season! Gardening holds a special place in our integral curriculum, offering our teachers a wonderful opportunity to weave outdoor learning experiences into various units throughout the year.

Basic Principles of Our School Garden

At Lorien Wood, our garden is not just a mere patch of greenery; it's a vibrant learning hub nestled at the heart of our campus. Positioned prominently at the front entrance, our garden beckons students to explore, discover, and connect with the natural world. As Charlotte Mason once wrote, “Let them once get touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life.” Our garden is seamlessly integrated into our curriculum, offering endless avenues for hands-on learning.

Each class tends to its own garden box, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among students. From watering and weeding to observing insect activity, students are actively involved in caring for the garden. Engaging all five senses, students immerse themselves in the garden experience, and each class maintains a logbook to track the progress of their garden bed.

Exploring the World Through Planting

Throughout the year, teachers creatively incorporate their class garden bed into a variety of learning units, spanning humanities to science and math.

This year, Form 3 is immersed in their Global Studies Unit, embarking on a journey around the world by planting crops that mirror the diverse flavors and cultures they encounter. In their exploration of the Middle East, students cultivate mustard greens, Swiss chard, and garlic. They delve into the wonderful variety of Middle Eastern flavors during their Middle Eastern Festival Day. Similarly, in their study of Africa, Form 3 students plant crops that originated in the American South and were introduced to African communities, such as okra, collard greens, and black-eyed peas. They delve into the rich and painful history of these crops, many of which were cultivated in Africa and exported during the transatlantic slave trade in the 1700s.

Integral Learning in the Garden

On the other side of the garden, Watershed (6th grade) students explore the historic complexities of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. They plant cotton, learn about sharecropping, and uncover its ties to Virginia’s past, gaining a deeper understanding of the region’s agricultural legacy. Meanwhile, Form 2 students cultivate World War II era vegetables for their own version of a Victory Garden! They grow lettuce, peas, and onions, while learning about the civilian war effort that sustained our nation.

In High School, students use the garden in their study of cellular biology, planting different varieties of peas and studying the nuances of their cellular composition. The garden connects to their unit on the Founding Fathers and how their passion for agriculture and gardening shaped the foundations of our new nation. Throughout the year, our school garden offers limitless opportunities for integral learning!

"A Garden is a Grand Teacher" 

At Lorien Wood School, the garden isn’t just a patch of earth; it’s a living testament to our commitment to educate the whole child. With each lesson learned, they forge deeper connections with the world around them, embodying the timeless wisdom of British Horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll: “A garden is a grand teacher.”

Our teachers help children engage with God’s World by planting seeds, nurturing their growth, and harvesting the fruit of their labors. They contemplate God’s original design for plants, how the Fall altered this original intention, and how humans can work toward a redemptive understanding of nature.

Discover more about hands-on learning at Lorien Wood School, a Christian school in Northern Virginia.