Beyond a Garden in Every School:In our schools today, we need to ask what we are training our students to see. We expect them to "go to art," "go to science," "go to physical education," and "go to English." We reinforce the notion that these categories can give us a neatly divided life, definitive knowledge, and a predictable and controllable experience. We are tied to schooling methods, in other words, that actively disintegrate the vital connections between things. They become, as Berry suggests, things we consume.But what if we stopped thinking about going to and from places – above all, gardens – as if they really are separate?An experiment in "gardenizing."
Our school is in Sonoma County. We have land, experts, farmers, and good weather. And yet, for a time, we would "go to the garden" just like I used to go to Prospect Park. Then, somewhat uncomfortable with the new school garden movement, I wondered what would happen if we declared that the garden was at the center of the school's life – if we "gardenized" the school, so to speak, rather than thinking of it as a new program.Seeds provide no overnight harvest. We had some growing to do. But once the idea of the garden at the center of things began to influence us, we noticed that nature was not just to be discussed in our outdoor classroom. It showed up in conversations throughout the day, from the lunch tables to the history classes, and most certain