During the past few weeks the 5th grade class at Poindexter Elementary was preparing to plant a garden at their school. Students learned about sustainability and what types of vegetables were able to grow during different seasons. They also learned about all the nutritional value in starting a garden.

This past Friday, students put their knowledge to work and planted their first garden at their school. At first, students were not quite sure how to plant vegetables, however Marsha Hobson with Keep Jackson Beautiful was there to help them and show them what to do. They first learned how far apart to place the plants, then they learned how to loosen the roots of the plants, finally they learned about fertilizer and how it helps grow the vegetables. Students were able to plant fresh herbs, onions, lettuce, strawberries, and blue berries.

After the students learned how to plant their first plant, they were excited and ready to plant the in the next garden bed. In total, the students planted twelve raised beds. They will observe and watch the plants grow over the next couple months and the vegetables will be ready to harvest and taste in the spring.

This outdoor classroom was made possible by Lowe’s who granted Keep Jackson Beautiful with a $5,000 dollar grant to build the garden.

For more information about Keep Jackson Beautiful, please call (601)398-5219 or visit their website at keepjacksonbeautiful.com.