Global Garden

How long has the garden been in place?

The idea of the garden began during the renovation of the school in 1994.  Avalon teachers, PTA members, and community members planned a space for students to have a hands-on experience in the life sciences.  In the years to come, students were involved in creating and designing a model of the global garden.  It would take two more years of planning and locating funds before the actual construction began.  This idea took many years of planning, community involvement, and good old fashioned hard work. When the vision was realized, the Global Garden came to life. The garden was dedicated to the students and staff of Avalon Elementary School in early May of 1998. Since then, the garden has been a living, breathing, outdoor educational experience for all to enjoy. In 2018, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary.

What makes Avalon's Global Garden so unique/special?

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful"~ Abram L. Urban.

That quote seems to sum up the feeling you get while experiencing the Global Garden. Many students have wandered in and amongst the flowers and vegetables, and many lives have been touched by the program. We see it in the faces of the students anxiously awaiting their time on Tuesday afternoons, and it is a reflection in the eyes of the many students who return years later to volunteer their time.

Young plants and young minds are given the opportunity to be nurtured and grow in an extraordinary natural environment.

What type of gardening methods are used ?

The goal of the program is to teach students all aspects of sustainable gardening.  Students are taught different types of gardening such as hydroponics, vertical gardening, urban gardening techniques, and gardening as it pertains to the climate/growing season in the state of Florida.  Global Garden students learn how to grow vegetables, herbs and edible plants.  Their lessons incorporate nutrition, sustainability and environmental concerns.  The program teaches the students that they are the future stewards of our Earth.