Braden River Elementary to open edible garden

New trees and plants will greet students at front of the East County school.

By Amanda Sebastiano
| 6:00 a.m. March 2, 2016

The garden will stretch across the front of Braden River Elementary.

East County
News

As they pass through the doors of Braden River Elementary in March, students will experience some new sights and smells.

Braden River Elementary's front entrance will become home to 26 varieties of edible trees and plants, some which are more common in Central America and South America.

Two papaya trees, which are native to South America, will frame the school’s sign. Nearby will be cranberry hibiscus plants, which usually are found in Central America and are a fragrant plant that can be used to make lemonade.

Florida's climate makes the introduction of those plants feasible.

“Florida is very subtropical,” said Nick Keebler, of Tropical Forest Foodscapes Inc. “These plants are ones that do well in drought or rainy conditions that we have in the summer. They’re very low maintenance, which is perfect for a school setting. This will be an edible ecosystem."

The garden will span 44-feet by 20-feet and will only take a week to plant. Students can expect to see the garden when they return to school from Spring Break March 28.

All the plants are self-sustaining, Keebler said.

Garden contents

The edible ecosystem will feature 26 types of plants that can be eaten raw or cooked into teas or food recipes.

Here are a few of the plants Braden River Elementary’s garden will house:

Lychee

Fun fact: It originated in China and has a floral smell and sweet taste.

Papaya

Fun fact: Papaya is native to central and northern South America. In the United States, it most widely grows in Florida and Hawaii.

Pigeon pea

Fun fact: It dates back more than 3,500 years and today pigeon peas are a common food ingredient in Asia and Africa.

Cranberry Hibiscus

Fun fact: This plant is high in Vitamin C and is often used in Central America to make a purple lemonade.

Ginger

Fun fact: Ginger is said to have originated in jungles in southern Asia. India is the largest producer of India today.

Mint

Fun fact: There are more than 20 species of mint and hundreds of varieties of the herb. Mint is found in common household items such as toothpaste, gum and inhalers.

Keebler, whose mother, Kathy, was a longtime secretary at the school before she retired last year, is constructing the “edible ecosystem, which will cost about $4.000.

Principal Hayley Rio plans to utilize the garden to educate students and faculty members about the plants’ different uses.

“This garden isn’t here just to look pretty,” Rio said, laughing.

Rio eventually will invite students to take pieces of the plants home to grow in their own gardens.

“We really want this to be a learning experience for families, too,” Rio said.

Rio tried on her own to plant a garden at the school, but her attempts were not successful. She accepted her lack of a green thumb.

“We couldn’t get anything to grow, other than some plants in our EarthBoxes,” Rio said. “The soil in Florida is tricky. We needed an expert to come in and help us make something useful and beautiful out of this space, which is the first thing you see when you arrive at the school.”