Alice's Wonderland Garden at the Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology, Moorpark CA

Description

Alice’s Wonderland Garden
The garden originally was a grassy area. Then a local lemon rancher donated harvesting boxes so that this area could become a garden. Each class received a wooden box to plant in. Eventually the boxes rotted. In 2011 the principle of Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology, Tammy Herzog, wanted to incorporate sciences into the garden area. Mrs. Herzog approached Mrs. Shari Berry the advisor over the Success Express After School program Junior Master gardening Club to design a science garden. Students in the after school 3rd-5th grades science classes learned how to design gardens. Their concepts were included into the final design. In the new garden each grade level has a cement block geometric shape planting area. There is a Victory Garden that is cared for by the Junior Master Gardening Club. The vegetables from this area are donated to the local food pantry. There is currently a Butterfly Garden, and California Desert Garden. The California Coastal and Forest biome gardens should be finished by the end of the 2014-2015 school year. All materials for this garden has been donated or given to us by the local school district. Work in the garden is done by the students, teacher staff, parents and volunteers.
The garden is named in memory of a teacher and friend, Mrs. Alice Quiros who passed away from cancer. At the very front of the garden are a rose archway and the Golden Bricks. These bricks were made available by the Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology Boosters for families to purchase. Also there is a September 11th flag planted so that we never forget and to show our support to the former students who are in the military. Right behind the flag is a tree dedicated to the memory of Chuy Suarez a teacher and friend to all. Large boulders are placed around the tree so students can sit in the shade and read. At the back side of the garden are located two green houses. There is still room to put in a hydroponics garden in the future.