School educates you for life. The old truth holds true in the case of István Zoltánfy Primary School in Desk, where the children get to know the basics of gardening up close.
In the small settlement of Csongrád, gardening and animal husbandry are traditions still alive today in many families. Back in 2019, the director of the board school came up with the idea that they could bring the world of gardening closer to the children. György Vid, majoring in physics and technology, himself lives a lifestyle close to nature, carrying on a family tradition - he works with bees. By regularly cultivating the approximately 2,000 square meter school garden, he also wants to draw the attention of young people to the importance of self-sufficiency. At the start, the teachers found suitable partners for the creation of the garden, the local government provided the plot, and the Szeged Education Center also supported the director's eco-conscious idea.
Parents also help
The sizeable tank garden also has fruit trees, a vegetable and herb garden, and some of the trees are already growing nicely. Each class cultivates an area designated for it, and seasonal vegetables such as pumpkins, cucumbers and sweet corn grow in the beds. At the end of the palm-sized classroom gardens, a beautifully budding fruit tree provides shade on early summer days.
This year, the vegetable garden took a backseat, due to the planting of tree seedlings. In the spring, we sowed "Halloween and decoration pumpkins and a little sunflower. Spring pruning and tree care have been the main focus of education in recent months
- listed György Vid.
We also learned from the director that last fall, 35 new saplings were planted during a family day, when parents and children also took part in the work. Currently, nearly 50-55 fruit trees are growing in the school garden. The board gardeners do not forget about replenishing soil strength, this year the school received another offer, as they consciously strive to introduce fertilizer-free organic materials into the soil.
Enthusiastic and diligent gardeners
The hoe and rake are clearly in the hands of the board children, and in May the fourth graders expertly managed the freshly sown rows. It is true that so far this year they are cultivating the more modest-sized beds, but they are keeping the area tidy.
Mayer Illangó, a fourth-grade student, enthusiastically sprinkled the manure from a large bucket onto the tree seedlings. Like many of his classmates, he is no stranger to gardening. The little girl also likes to help her mother with the work around the house at home.
We pour the manure into the buckets and fill the buckets with it. When they are full, we sprinkle the seeds in and water them well. When we get tired, we take a short break in the house and then go out and feed the animals. There are also cows, horses, pigs, piglets, geese, ducks, goats and sheep
Illangó explained.
The Mayers have a diverse family farm on their doorstep, in addition to their large livestock, they also grow apples, lettuce, pears, potatoes, radishes, and spinach in Desz. The little gardener's favorite is the "homemade" spinach stew, which goes well with meatballs and boiled eggs.
Lavender pillow and mint syrup
At the boarding school, they strive for a wide range of use of cultivated plants. Pumpkins planted in the spring are used to make decorations in the fall, and children can show off their creativity in a pumpkin-carving competition.
At the moment, the amount of fruit only allows for direct consumption, but in the future, when a larger amount is produced, we will process them in the classes. Among other things, we make preserves and jam from them in the technique class
explained the teacher.
Sunflowers are used in the form of bird feed during the winter, and the further fate of medicinal plants and herbs depends on the quantity of the given period. If, as in previous years, the lavender grows in abundance, the children will sew scented pillows during the lessons. Mint also feels good in the spice garden, this year they are also making a refreshing syrup from the fragrant plant at the school.
Featured image: Péter A. Tóth
