The 'Seed of Life' Garden

'Seed of Life' Garden Contest Winner, Mount Saint Mary's School, Starts Garden Construction
By Nevada County Recycles
Published: 23 June 2011
www.yubanet.com

Teachers, students, parents and Seed of Life Garden designer Kathy Irving are coming together at Mount Saint Mary's School to construct a garden and compost area that will serve as an outdoor classroom for its students for years to come. The program has been developed in accordance with Wellness Policy goals for the Nevada County School District and is sponsored by Nevada County Recycles. Mount Saint Mary's School won the county-wide garden contest this past spring.

The 'Seed of Life' Garden ties together math, physical education, and social studies curriculum while teaching about recycling and composting. Encouraged by studies that report up to 40% waste diversion can be achieved by implementing recycling and composting programs in schools, State legislature now proposes that these programs be required for California schools. Nevada County schools presently have some form of recycling and a few have established composting in an effort to reduce their waste while teaching their students about the cycle of life.


Mount Saint Mary’s fifth grade school students
in the 'Seed of Life’ Garden on their school grounds. (Spring 2011)

Mount Saint Mary's School will be at the top of their class with their new garden and composting area. Fifth grade teacher Michelle McDaniel exclaims, "This is an exciting opportunity for our entire school community. The installation of this type of garden will provide a year round outdoor classroom for our students. The students are thrilled to begin growing their own food that will be incorporated into our hot lunch program that is prepared fresh every day. In keeping with our attitude of service, some of the produce will also be shared with our greater community through the social programs that are part of St. Patrick's Parish. The garden will also be an opportunity to see the process full circle as the garden will provide an avenue for us to expand our composting efforts. In addition to the enhancement to our school curriculum, the 'Seed of Life' Garden will offer a magnificent area for our school and parish to gather while being surrounded by generous gifts of nature." A statue of St. Francis will grace the center of the flower shaped garden.

A very special thanks goes to the following local merchants who have supported the garden with materials to start the first garden in a series of school gardens and composting areas. The garden was made possible through the support of the following local merchants:

To donate materials or to find out more about the 'Seed of Life' Garden and recycling in schools, visit www.seedoflifegarden.com and www.NevadaCountyRecycles.com.

The Seed Of Life Garden in full bloom
Seed of Life Garden In Full Bloom
Nevada City, California

Mission Statement

The Seed Of Life Garden Project intends to utilize the pattern to promote community vitality, education, sustainability, preventative healthcare, organic gardening, the arts, and beauty. We acknowledge that these are keys to healthy living and we support the use of this garden design towards that goal. The Seed Of Life Garden Project seeks the endorsement, by other like-minded individuals and organizations, of the design as a tool and technique for achieving this mission. We aim to be of benefit to everyone.


Geometry of the Seed Of Life Garden
Nevada City, California

"The Seed Of Life Garden is designed to integrate an agricultural consciousness into our daily life.  This organic style of gardening offers many levels of learning and experience from the most basic tasks to the more mystical aspects of communing with the natural world.  These gardens can catalyze self-sufficiency for individuals and organize or guide community planning projects.

The intention of this garden is to facilitate the transition into global sustainability.  This method of gardening can be adopted by a plethora of diverse people and organizations.  These include educators and schools, rehabilitation centers, crisis intervention groups, recycling advocates, city and park planners, community gardens, emergency relief organizations, refugee camps, homeless shelters, senior citizen homes, and anyone interested in this natural process.  Even corporations are valuable allies of this project.

Seed Of Life gardens are aesthetically beautiful and highly functional in their ability to accommodate growth and serve a wide range of needs. The concentric rings combined with the petaled pattern include a ring of flowers, culinary plants, medicinal plants, and an outside ring of food. This design reflects the wheel of life, the mandala of Eastern philosophies, and the medicine wheel of Native American ceremonies. When an individual or group creates a Seed Of Life garden, the intention to benefit others ripples into the collective consciousness of the Earth spreading abundance, love, and the growth of new life."
 
~ by Vincent Boccarossa

The Seed of Life Garden is an official entry
of the Changemakers Challenge
as a Solution for Rural Communities!