East Elementary Garden Club hosts ‘Garden Baby Shower’
CULLMAN, Ala. – The East Elementary Garden Club on Friday, April 11, hosted a “Garden Baby Shower” to raise funds and gather new gardening supplies.
The event offered numerous springtime activities, like an Easter Egg hunt and Easter cookie decorating. In honor of Cullman’s rich German history, children decorated Easter eggs to hang on an Ostereierbaum tree, a German Easter tradition. Plenty of spring-themed desserts were offered, including a beautiful cake from Widlöcher’s.
The event was organized by East Elementary teacher and Outdoor Classroom and Garden Club Sponsor Leeanna Smith, who shared, “This was a fundraiser for our school garden — we called it a ‘Garden Baby Shower’ to celebrate all the new life that comes in spring. We’ve seen so much wildlife come through the garden in the past, so we thought, why not throw a baby shower to welcome the new season and raise support?”
The East Elementary Garden Club is a way for children to learn about nature in a safe and fun environment. “Children need to be outside — they need to run, dig, explore and learn where their food comes from. This is more than a garden. It’s a place where kids learn about ecosystems, life cycles and how to take care of the world around them,” said Smith.
Operating in the spring, summer and fall, the Garden Club offers plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning for most of the year. Only 30 students can join the club in the fall and spring because there is only one sponsor, but in the summer, the club is open to all East Elementary students and families, with adult supervision. Students gain experience in garden maintenance, planting and harvesting. The Garden Club offers a unique educational experience, teaching children the farm-to-table process and observing and caring for new life. It also gives children plenty of healthy outdoor experiences.
“We want them to see that new life isn’t just something you read about — it’s something you can grow, nurture and protect,” Smith explained.
With funds raised, the club plans to purchase new dirt for planting, fill a new strawberry pyramid, stock the greenhouse with new plants, install a new underwater pump for aeration (supporting fish and tadpoles) and add new raised beds to grow fruits and vegetables for the school cafeteria.
Monetary donations, gift cards and gardening supplies are accepted if you want to assist with the East Elementary Garden Club. Volunteer opportunities are also available, like the Golden Girls, a group of retirees who regularly assist the club. Summer gardening is open to the public. For STEM day, students will create and share pollinator-friendly plant kits.
The Garden Club plans to host a ribbon-cutting in May to show off the new additions. The club expresses gratitude to all volunteers and support from Operation Round Up, the Cullman City Schools Foundation, Lowe’s, Marvin’s, the North Alabama Agriplex and various businesses.
To learn more, contact the school at 256-734-2232 or Leeanna Smith at lsmith@cullmancats.net.
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