Students helped marked James Thomson Elementary School’s 60th May Day celebration by planting trees in the school’s garden.
The Wildwood elementary school won a $3,784 edible trees grant from Trees Canada and North Bridge Financial Corporation last year and used part of that money to purchase 13 fruit trees including apple, peach, pear and Asian pear varieties.
The incoming and outgoing school ambassadors, as well as representatives from each of the school’s divisions, had the opportunity to plant a tree on Friday, May 15.
Jasmin Marshman, school principal, said the school was one of 18 across Canada to win the award last year and it was recognized for its Farm to School, DIGS and Kids Patch school garden initiatives.
“These trees will directly benefit students though our delicious food programs as well as hands-on learning opportunities in the garden and Farm to School kitchen classroom,” Marshman said addressing the school during the May Day ceremony.
Francine Ulmer, Farm to School coordinator at James Thomson, said that in addition to providing education opportunities, the trees will also help as a way to make the school garden more attractive.
The garden is currently surrounded by chain-link fence, which is very functional at keeping deer and other local wildlife out, but it is not very nice to look at, Ulmer said.
So the garden committee has decided to plant the trees around the inside of the fence and grow them using an espalier method, which is similar to the Japanese art of bonsai. Though pruning, a tree’s branches are trained to grow more horizontal than vertical, Ulmer said, adding that the method encourages fruit production and is useful for intensive production where space is limited.
“And it will add year-round interest,” she said. “In the wintertime the structure of a wall of branches will look nice, then in the spring it will have flowers and in the summer and fall fruit.”
She added that the school is committed to this long-term project and is working with horticulturists to provide the knowledge and specialized pruning techniques.
She added that in addition to the fruit trees, the school is also planning a native plants garden around the school’s welcome pole.
