McLean County Junior Master Gardener Projects

Unity Center Veggie Mites Program

The Unity Center is a community program developed by the University of Illinois Extension, Heartland Community College and the Town of Normal. Junior Master Gardening became part of the children's after school program at Unity Center in 2003. The owner of the building donated use of land adjacent to the center for a garden. Children and Master Gardeners meet weekly to plan and plant, and to learn and grow in the garden. Sessions are 1-1.5 hours from April through October. The Master Gardeners incorporate short lessons with hands on work. The children are diverse ages- 5 through 12- and this presents a challenge to teachers. The Unity Center staff, parents and volunteers assist in the lessons and supervision. With "Unity" as the theme of the Center, the older participants help the young ones learn and work in the garden.

Lessons include all areas of gardening: soil, seeds, plant propagation, pest management and maintenance. The Master Gardeners generally do the hands-on work that is particularly heavy or requires equipment that may be hazardous to children. The children accomplish all of the rest of the actual garden work. They dig holes, amend the soil, plant seeds or seedlings (some of which they have grown themselves), water, fertilize and weed. As the garden grows, so do the children. They are quite impressive in their ability to absorb and retain the gardening lessons from year to year.

The project would not be possible without support from the community. Many Master Gardeners donate time and materials. The Unity Center Youth Program Coordinator has obtained grants with which tools, hoses and other needed items have been purchased.

The Unity Junior Master Gardener program is led by Sheryl Chambers. Other volunteers for the garden are Mariellen Griffith, Gin Cates, Kim Travers, and Kathy Mundell-Bligh.

Holton Homes Neighborhood Garden

Just down the street from home is a children's garden at Holton Homes in Bloomington, Illinois. The garden is a project of the Bloomington Housing Authority and McLean County Master Gardeners and is located on the east side of Hinshaw Avenue just north of where it intersects with Stillwell Street. The city of Bloomington has provided the large fenced-in area complete with a driveway, lawn and planting beds. Master Gardeners raised the beds and built a bench to provide a spot to gather for lessons. Water is accessed from one of the near-by apartment buildings.

A picnic shelter was added with assistance from the 2006 Leadership McLean County class, Task Force 6. This group obtained funding and secured the labor and materials necessary to complete the project. Future plans for the garden include the addition of a shade tree and picnic table. The city keeps the area mowed and Master Gardeners trim and do other "heavy" work such as tilling.

The Holton Garden is a hands-on, learn-by-doing experience for children and gardeners alike. Bloomington Housing Authority personnel have advertised the program and bring children to the garden to participate. Mothers have also joined the children to learn gardening from the ground-up. Neighbors to the garden have been very helpful watering and weeding. They have also planted a few crops of their own in the very large garden space.The experience is fun for children, parents and gardeners.

The garden includes tomato plants of several varieties, a strawberry patch,and many different types of vegetables. Herbs have a special place in the garden and the vegetable patch is edged with rows of perennial and annual flowers. Young gardeners have planted perennial flowers, daylilies, clematis and peony bushes along the fences to provide permanent beauty. Tires filled with annual flowers provide patches of color.

Thanks to the very committed group of Master Gardeners that volunteer at the Holton Homes garden: Kathy Mundell-Bligh, Bob Hathaway, Judy Hines, Paul Klecha, Ray Kolodzieski, and Vern Shepherd.

Bloomington Junior High

The "Sesquicentennial Garden" at Bloomington Jr. High School is a nature habitat focusing on native plants, a sensory garden, a pondless waterfall, and an outdoor teaching area. The students are involved through the "Super Spades," a weekly after-school garden club for 6-8^th graders sponsored by the University of Illinois Master Gardeners in McLean County. Master Gardeners, as well as some teachers also volunteer to work in the garden. A community water gardening organization installed the pondless waterfall and several garden shops have contributed plants to help with landscaping.

When completed, the project will include seating for 36 students and a teaching center for outdoor lessons. For example, the native plants garden will include prairie grasses which will be tied with a lesson on the plants encountered by early settlers to this area. The sensory garden will be in raised beds which will easily be reached by our students in wheelchairs so that they can more readily enjoy the gardens as well. Permanent feeding stations will be added to draw wildlife (particularly birds and butterflies) into the garden so that we can observe them.

The garden is in a courtyard, which can be viewed by all students during the school day.

Kathryn Mundell-Bligh, a master gardener and a teacher at the school, maintains the connection between the school volunteers and those from the Master Gardeners. She is the faculty sponsor for the Super Spades as well. Students do most of the maintenance of the garden, with support from adult volunteers.