Gardening Contest
Get your green thumbs ready
Container Gardening with Your Class
It's time for the 4th annual Container Garden Contest for K-5 classes - let's see if Claxton can earn some prizes again this year! The Men's Garden Club of Asheville sponsors this fun contest to spark students' interest in gardening and their creativity. Anything goes for containers, and the plants can be flowers and/or veggies; creativity is key!
To participate: 1) register before March 17th (email Ed Heidel at heideled@yahoo.com). 2) Teachers will need to submit photos and descriptions of their classes' projects in early May. 3) Students will present their projects to the judges (here at school) in mid-May. Read all the details below.
Free seeds are available through ASAP, so contact Kathy Ornato or Molly Peeples with what you would like. They have beet, carrot, radish, turnip, arugula, collards, cress, kale, lettuce, spinach, chard, cilantro, snap pea, and lemon cucumber.
Questions? Ask a Green Team member: Kathy Ornato, Molly Peeples, Laura Morris, Lucy Dudley, and parent Trisha Johnson. It's also time to start thinking about your class's contribution to your grade-level garden bed!
To participate: 1) register before March 17th (email Ed Heidel at heideled@yahoo.com). 2) Teachers will need to submit photos and descriptions of their classes' projects in early May. 3) Students will present their projects to the judges (here at school) in mid-May. Read all the details below.
Free seeds are available through ASAP, so contact Kathy Ornato or Molly Peeples with what you would like. They have beet, carrot, radish, turnip, arugula, collards, cress, kale, lettuce, spinach, chard, cilantro, snap pea, and lemon cucumber.
Questions? Ask a Green Team member: Kathy Ornato, Molly Peeples, Laura Morris, Lucy Dudley, and parent Trisha Johnson. It's also time to start thinking about your class's contribution to your grade-level garden bed!
Ideas and Helps
ASAP's Growing Minds program has tons of resources for teachers; check out these links:
Garden Planning lesson plans
Lesson Plans for "Farm to School" activities, by grade level
Children's Book list about gardening, cooking, farms, or food
Garden Planning lesson plans
Lesson Plans for "Farm to School" activities, by grade level
Children's Book list about gardening, cooking, farms, or food
All the Details about the Contest
Is your school ready for the fourth annual container garden contest? Due to last
year's amazing response and participation from Buncombe County classrooms,
the Men's Garden Club of Asheville (MGCA) is once again sponsoring the
Container Garden Contest for Grades K-5. It’s a fun time and there are no
losers. All participants will be commended for merely participating!
Container gardening is the practice of learning about growing plants in containers
instead of in the ground. It is a fun and wonderful way to get children excited
about growing!
The purpose of this contest is to get students interested in gardening and to
challenge their creativity. MGCA wants them to experience some of the wonder
and magic that comes with growing plants and designing a garden display.
Teachers may also find they can use the contest as an education tool for
subjects beyond gardening. The plants can be flowers or vegetables or both. The
containers can range from flower pots to scavenged items like an old mailbox or
a rusty garbage can. The MGCA hopes to see a wealth of creativity and ingenuity
at work in this contest. This project provides an appreciation for gardening and
creativity and an opportunity to focus on essential standards for science.
Contest Prizes, Rules and Other Information
1. The Men's Garden Club of Asheville will provide the following prizes: Three
$75.00 awards for Best of Show and six Honorable mention awards (three
$50.00 awards and three $25.00 awards).
2. K-5 Classes or school clubs in Buncombe County schools are invited to
produce a container garden for the Container Garden Contest. This could be one
container or a series of containers--depending on your theme. Creativity is key!
There is no right or wrong way!
3. Judging will be based on 1. Overall display, 2. Effort for the project, 3.
Creativity and originality and , 4. Children’s presentations.
4. Judges will make on-site visitations in middle May. If time permits, the MGCA
representatives will take pictures of your class with the container garden and also
the garden itself. Participants agree that the MGCA has the right to publish a
digital photo in its newsletter, on its computer site
(www.mensgardenclubofasheville.org) or in area publications.
5. During the on-site visitations, the children may be asked to explain what they
have done and learned. This is an opportunity for the children to be keen
observers, be creative, and focus on specific learning outcomes. While engaged
in this project, they are encouraged to keep log books or a class journal.
6. Each teacher is responsible for submitting a digital photo of the container
garden from his/ her class.. A title and brief description of the project should be
included. This should be submitted between May 6-15 and no later than May 15.
7. Registration and inquiries should be directed to container garden contest
coordinator, Ed Heidel, no later than Tuesday, March 17. Email Ed at
heideled@yahoo.com. Please provide (1) Your name, (2) Grade level (3)
Buncombe County or Asheville City school's name, and (4) Email address.
year's amazing response and participation from Buncombe County classrooms,
the Men's Garden Club of Asheville (MGCA) is once again sponsoring the
Container Garden Contest for Grades K-5. It’s a fun time and there are no
losers. All participants will be commended for merely participating!
Container gardening is the practice of learning about growing plants in containers
instead of in the ground. It is a fun and wonderful way to get children excited
about growing!
The purpose of this contest is to get students interested in gardening and to
challenge their creativity. MGCA wants them to experience some of the wonder
and magic that comes with growing plants and designing a garden display.
Teachers may also find they can use the contest as an education tool for
subjects beyond gardening. The plants can be flowers or vegetables or both. The
containers can range from flower pots to scavenged items like an old mailbox or
a rusty garbage can. The MGCA hopes to see a wealth of creativity and ingenuity
at work in this contest. This project provides an appreciation for gardening and
creativity and an opportunity to focus on essential standards for science.
Contest Prizes, Rules and Other Information
1. The Men's Garden Club of Asheville will provide the following prizes: Three
$75.00 awards for Best of Show and six Honorable mention awards (three
$50.00 awards and three $25.00 awards).
2. K-5 Classes or school clubs in Buncombe County schools are invited to
produce a container garden for the Container Garden Contest. This could be one
container or a series of containers--depending on your theme. Creativity is key!
There is no right or wrong way!
3. Judging will be based on 1. Overall display, 2. Effort for the project, 3.
Creativity and originality and , 4. Children’s presentations.
4. Judges will make on-site visitations in middle May. If time permits, the MGCA
representatives will take pictures of your class with the container garden and also
the garden itself. Participants agree that the MGCA has the right to publish a
digital photo in its newsletter, on its computer site
(www.mensgardenclubofasheville.org) or in area publications.
5. During the on-site visitations, the children may be asked to explain what they
have done and learned. This is an opportunity for the children to be keen
observers, be creative, and focus on specific learning outcomes. While engaged
in this project, they are encouraged to keep log books or a class journal.
6. Each teacher is responsible for submitting a digital photo of the container
garden from his/ her class.. A title and brief description of the project should be
included. This should be submitted between May 6-15 and no later than May 15.
7. Registration and inquiries should be directed to container garden contest
coordinator, Ed Heidel, no later than Tuesday, March 17. Email Ed at
heideled@yahoo.com. Please provide (1) Your name, (2) Grade level (3)
Buncombe County or Asheville City school's name, and (4) Email address.
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Sow True Seed
Get plant and vegetable ideas from this local seed company that donates seeds for school gardens. Website