Park Creek Garden Project

Park Creek Gardens 

The purposes of Park Creek establishing its garden project are two-fold. 

EDUCATION:  Greenhouse and Garden: By engaging Park Creek students in gardening activities in the classroom, greenhouse, and outdoors, Park Creek intends to provide authentic experiences that enhance the educational goals of classroom teachers.  This will provide hands-on learning experiences that generate deeper understandings of conservation, water, irrigation and soil health.  The project also contributes to mitigation of climate change. 

The Gardener at Park Creek will offer workshops for the community.  The workshops will promote personal gardening, efficient irrigation methods, as well as discuss market gardening concepts. 

NUTRITION:  MILPA Garden:  Park Creek is dedicating its largest gardening space to a version of MILPA gardening.  A MILPA garden has its roots in many traditional Central American cultures.  In short, MILPA gardening provides a diversity of garden products in a compact space.  By diversifying and intermixing, specific crops, the MILPA garden is more tolerant of invading pests and generates its own nutrient system.   

The intended spirit of the MILPA garden is for it to be a community garden.  This means that the Park Creek Community is invited to come and harvest produce for their family’s consumption.  The produce is not intended for resale purposes. 

If community members are interested in volunteering in assisting with the garden project, contact the Gardener, Carl Wilms.   

Email: carl.wilms@dalton.k12.ga.us 

 

This project is largely funded by a grant awarded by the Outreach and Partnerships Division within the U.S, Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS).  Additional support comes with the collaborations of the Limestone Valley RC&D Council Outreach in Market Gardening, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Dalton Public Schools, Dalton State College, Tennessee Aquarium, and the Georgia State Botanical Garden. 

Garden

carrot and radish seedlings

picture of carrots and radishes

cilantro growing in garden

Cilantro seedling

young corn seedlings

young corn seedlings

corn rows and drainage ditch

corn rows and drainage ditch

lettuce

lettuce

lettuce for cafeteria lunch

lettuce for cafeteria lunch

lettuce row

lettuce row

tunnel greenhouse ready for growth

Tunnel greenhouse ready for growth

gardener presents plant lifecycle to 2nd graders

gardener presents plant lifecycle to 2nd graders

poles to mark spacing in garden

poles to mark spacing in garden

potato plant

potato plant

second graders start seeds

second graders start seeds

squash and cucumber plants in greenhouse

squash and cucumber plants in greenhouse

tomato seedlings in greenhouse

tomato seedlings in greenhouse